Mud Mud not so glorious

                                   Two views from Eric Morecambe hide.

Started the day off by taking the dogs out, going up to the flood. 2 Moorhen chicks doing really well now, one Mallard left with 1 young out of 3, but then another appeared with 9 hatchlings. Lapwings are beginning to come back to the flood with about a dozen this morning.
        Back home I dropped the dogs off and headed South for Leighton Moss, on arrival I went straight to the marsh hides, and couldn't believe my eyes, everywhere was a sea of mud. So if anyone is thinking of going to the marsh hides don't bother.
        I quickly headed back to the centre where at the Grizedale hide there was masses of Blacktail Godwits, two Little Egrets, all the usual water birds that is normally on show, plus this Red Deer hind.

          From the Public hide on the causeway the Marsh Harriers were showing well , with 4 in the air at once. It helps when the weather is good as it was today. 

                            &  Blue-Tail Damselfly 

Blue Damselfly 

  Both found at the dipping pond .                                                                                                                                 

Weed killer & herbicide strike again

Up early yesterday morning, and shock of shocks I was up at the flood by 7 giving the Westies an early morning walk and a spot of birding.
        Not a great deal about, I could only find 2 of the moorhen chicks, and no sign of the young Mallard. A pair of Stock Dove, 2 Oystercatchers, House Martins and Swallows dipping over the flood and that was about it.
          I came back home to leave the dogs and set off again this time heading for the river Pettril. Still in the Thacka area 6 more House Martins flying over the muck- heap and same amount in House Sparrows near the cottages. At Thacka farm more House Sparrows and a small flock of about 50 Starlings.Up by the motorway 1 Blackcap, didn't stay still long enough for a pic. A little further on I was taking a pic of a butterfly when this Assassin fly caught my eye.

They prey on other insects, stick their proboscis deep into their prey and suck them dry, even feeding on the wing which is what this one was doing, bit like having a smoothie while on the go.
        Eventually I reached the river and imagine my surprise when , on reaching the first wooden foot bridge I am confronted by this sign.

 At first I was a bit puzzled, I'm thinking what crops, the whole area is grazing land . Then on closer inspection I could see all the fields had been sprayed with herbicide as all the thistles were dieing and any other plant life that had been growing. And all this right beside a river, Runoff what Runoff, and all the time the environment people are talking about river pollution. Still on my hobby-horse the Round up boys have been out and about in Penrith, all pavements, and footpaths in parks have now got the scorched earth look. Not only is it bad for the environment but it looks bad, enough said.
       No sign of Kingfisher or Dipper this morning (maybe read the sign and thought sod this) but soon after leaving the river a buzzard started mewing overhead.          

A walk with the Westies

Had a walk around Thacka this morning, fairly quiet really, a couple of Song Thrush singing in the light rain, and 2 Dunnocks in the hedge along the top track.

       On the flood things were similar, the 3 Moorhen chicks are still going strong and getting quite tall, they look all legs at the moment. However it was a surprise to see a Mallard with three well developed young, where did they suddenly come from?. Also a lone Herring Gull , 3 Lapwing, could be more out of sight as the vegetation is getting quite long now. there was quite a few male Mallard chilling out on the mud.

        After the heavy rain of the last couple of days (some places in Penrith had to be pumped out) I was expecting the flood to be high again , but there didn't seem to be much difference.
        Everywhere is looking very fresh and beautiful , the Hawthorn is in full bloom and the scent of it makes the years roll back, and I find myself reminiscing about childhood days. They say we only remember the good times and maybe its true to some extent. As a kid though the sun always seem to be shinning and only paused for the occasional thunderstorm, and we use to playing out till it went dark , some times later, then you came in had a saany (sandwich) and a mug of drinking chocolate and went to bed. What, wash your hands, whats the point ? they'll only get dirty again tomorrow.

                                         Rock Pipit, St Agnes.

Wren in full cry, St Agnes.

Back to earth

Well its back down to earth with a bang, and since I've been back I haven't seen much about. Been up onto the Beacon area with the Westies where the sound of Woodpigeons was deafening, and the only other thing of note was a Great Spotted Woodpecker. Back on the Patch ie. Thacka flood, well the Moorhens hatch three chicks while I was away and so far they haven't been predated, but talking to John up there this morning, and He has seen the Kestrel about again , and I'm thinking if it has young to feed somewhere then the Moorhen chicks could become food for their young.

        The water level is dropping rapidly, so now plenty of mud showing, surely something good is going to drop in soon. Anyway here are some more pics from hols. until I find something interesting locally. 

                                                                                                                                                                              

Common Blue.

                                                     Gadwall.

                        Sunset St Mary's harbour.                           

A blaze of colour

My lasting memories of the Isles of Scilly will always be the terrific rocky coast line around the Isles, and the continuous blaze of colour where ever you went.

    The colour of the sea in a multitude of sandy bays, the blossom on the trees and shrubs, but mostly the flowers, many from hot climate countries that have self seeded from collections in gardens and have now naturalized all over the Islands. Here is just a small sample of that colour, the Golden Pheasant were wondering around the gardens on Tresco, (no Petel Tresco not Tesco, this was better value for money)

     

   

   

Some of the above were in the Abbey gardens Tresco, some growing wild, the list is too long to mention, but we found Freesia and Gladiolus growing wild  by the road side or coastal paths, obviously seeded from cultivation farms, but it was quite amazing to find them.

Common as muck

The most common birds by far on the Scillys are, top of the list must be House sparrows, you even find them on the beaches, close second must be Starling, and in third place Song Thrush, the later being very tame.

         We stayed in a very good B&B (The Lookout)  less than 50 yds. from Porthcressa beach and bay. This little chap or chapess (just to keep things politically correct) had also booked in for evening meal as he-she appeared at the same time every evening.

                           Er two sugars in mine please.

                                                                                                                                                                                                         

No not drinking it until you put two in.

 

Are you looking at me?.

 Black birds also tried getting in on the act but the Thrushes were having none of it .

 View from B&B window when Thrushes didn't get in the way. 

My theory for Sparrow and Thrushes being so plentiful on the Isles is, there is little or no weed killers and pesticides used. Where as on the mainland your average council sees a blade of grass poke through a path or pavement , and it is instantly drenched in Roundup, no grass or weed , no seed,  no seed no Sparrows. Simple ( Meerkat) .

Sticking with the theme

Still on or near the sea, we found this Puffin just off Annet, there is a small colony nesting on the Island in the largest area of Thrift in Western Europe, and is also feeding young. There were also a few Guillemots close by .

                       This is just a fraction of the large area of Thrift. Annet.