Reflections on my Anglesey walk and autumn jays

As with last year, I haven't managed to keep up the nature blog through the end of the summer and autumn when the garden and harvesting gets busy - and also because I've prioritised the Welsh blog.

But I should say something about our few days' walking on the Anglesey Coast path in August. Much of it was cultural and historical as much as concerned with wildlife though I did keep a keen eye out in case we saw dolphins off the coast. But the highlight was the walk form Holyhead to South Stack. Although as it was August the seabirds had left, it was a beautiful day, and the colours of the heather and gorse were very striking. We didn't manage to see any dolphins, but there were plenty of ravens around and apparently there had been choughs just near to South Stack itself and near the cafe, where we had lunch. We didn't see them there, but we did have a good siting (and hearing) of a chough on the way back. Now I have a slightly better camera than the Iphone used here - there may also be better photos in future.

All this seems a long time ago now that it is getting dark around 5.30 some nights and about to get darker with the clocks changing. The lapwings are back in their winter haunts at Willen and once again I am seeing jays on my way to work. This seems to be an autumn event as I rarely see them the rest of the year. Just shows you what is around even though you may not see it.

Retrospective from earlier in July - Scotland part 5

This entry is for the 15th July. On the 15th we went by boat to Iona via Staffa. Again it was a rather showery morning. Rather than go right down to the South of the island we decided to go on a small boat from Ulva Ferry - still needed to allow an hour to get to the ferry (especially as there was the possibility of road works nearby) but much nearer. On the way we saw a sea eagle perched in a tree just by the road - but couldn't stop unfortunately. Then just in the harbour of Ulva Ferry (well it's more like a small inlet), there were dolphins. I believe they were dolphins as according to the whale watch survey team, the harbour porpoises a) don't usually come that close into the harbour but b) don't do the leaping out of the water business which these were definitely doing. Brilliant.

Good trip over to Iona via Staffa, home of Fingal's cave. I decided not to try to go into the cave as it was slippery and I had the dog - but what we saw was nevertheless brilliant. The second photo, if you look carefully, shows a puffin. We didn't get close to the puffins, nor see that many - I suspect many had left their nests by this time of year (and we didn't have long on Staffa) but we did get good views of them on land. (And if I had a better camera...). I will add more to this entry later.

retrospective from earlier in July - Scotland part 4

14th July

Wednesday
A much more bleak rainy srart to the day. On my walk with Tyson i did not even try to identify the little brown birds today as it was a short walk, knowing we were going on the whalewatch later. The attached photo is what the moorland walk is like in the rain..... I did hear what I thought might be curlew but not the full call so perhaps lapwing? and I did sme recording. Coming back I saw a bird of prey with a really long tail, Bigger – much bigger than sparrowhawk or kestrel – but not a buzzard or eagle and as it flew saw a distinct white patch on its rump (the rest was grey). I hadn't a clue what this might be and looking it up in the book, I think hen harrier. Having seen a marsh harrier it did fly rather like it and I also saw something that I thought might have been a harrier in Connell. I need to check whether they are around here. I was later told there were a pair of hen harrier on the moor. Yes!!!

Then, on the way home tonght I saw what initially looked like a large gull and then it dived into the loch after flying around and hovering – this was around buzzaard size but not a buzzard – brown coloured but not only brown – it had some white on so osprey perhaps? And yes, there is a pair of osprey on this loch. (Where else would I see eagle, osprey and hen harrier in the same day? It's amazing)

Whale watch trip
OK no whales! But lots of birds: gannet and young; manx shearwater (but would I recognise again if no-one to tell me?) ; fulmars and kittiwakes – which apparently have just the tips of the wings dark as though dipped into paint – I have seen them before but was not sure of recognition. Also guillemots and black guillemots; puffins (not so many); cormorant and shag (though i can't tell the difference), and great auk!
Also common seals and basking shark – and as I added to the previous entry it seems that the two fins seen yesterday was indeed basking shark – the fin and the tail of the same animal – apparently loads around yesterday which was a beautiful day. This morning was pretty wet by comparison. We did see sea eagles: one perched on a rock near its nest - but it was not that close.
Porpoises seen today but not by me
Then flychatcher in garden – very like sparrow in many ways but with fly in mouth and kind of hovering to catch them. Also got glimpse of snipe, I think.

retrospective from earlier in July - Scotland part 3

Day 4 Tuesday
On my walk with Tyse this morning I experimented with recording some of the bird song to help with the little brown bird issue – it seems to have recorded OK but is taking a lot of power, so will see. On this walk around 8.45, the weather was much brighter and it was a much prettier walk than it has been the last two days. There was a lot of birdsong and brown bird movement, but no eagle sightings until I got right back to the house and saw one briefly.

Then we went and had lunch at Calgary? farm house and saw further birds of prey – but some were buzzards, though we think the first we saw was another eagle. Without a good view and at a long distance where size can't b easly judged it is difficult.

We did a walk marked Treshnish in the book, a lovely walk above the coast looking out towards the treshnish islands (there are a number) and then close to the beach. We saw is oystercatchers, gannets, winchats (we think), also ravens and a wren – and hooded crows. The walk back once we had left the rocky climb form the beach was over marshy, boggy ground. This was where we saw the wren. Also many flowers: orchids, thyme, harebells for example, and wild bugle. Near Calgary beach on the way, there are several meadows flourishing with wildlife.

Coming up from the bay we saw something swimming in the bay – not a seal as there were two fins. J and I thought they were sharks – a large and small, as the body never came up from the water. The only other possibility is dolphins or porpoises but it/they weren't behaving like dolphins. Whatever it was swam up and down in the last bay, at times the fins moved through the water with some speed. After reading up and talking to people on the whale watch boat, what we saw was a basking shark - the fins were from the same animal - the dorsal fin and the tail fin. We have seen some film of them and also saw one from the boat - so definitely a basking shark. No photos though (I need a better camera!)

The walk back was over wet boggy grassland. Winchats (if that is what they are) were still apparent. Interestngly (or not?) we have not heard curlew, or lapwing.

Retrospective from earlier in July - Scotland part 2

Monday, 12 July

We've been staying not far from Dervaig. Each morning I have been walking on the moor near by with Tyse - and fortunately there are no sheep here so he can have a good run. I am as always completely baffled by the little brown birds. They behave pretty much like meadow pipits but are in slightly different habitat than when I have seen them before, and I'm not sure they look quite like meadow pipits.

Day 3
Today I saw the little brown birds better – and I think some at least might have been reed buntings – and if so perhaps I should have recognised them given that we have them back at MK, in Newport Pagnell. Other birds around included chaffinch, on the moorland early moring work However the exciting sight this morning was a sea eagle – flying across the loch (Frisa) and although I didn't get to see it too closely I could see that it was an eagle from its flight and could also see the white tail patch, so probably a sea eagle as they are nesting near the loch– in fact I saw it more clearly than when we visited the reserve. (Though, of course immature golden eagles also have a white patch - why do birds make it so hard for us?)

We then did a walk from Tobemorry to an old lighthouse along the coast. Though it was only a shortish walk, it was a beautiful walk through woodland looking out across the bay. Just after starting the walk we saw a large bird of prey flying amongst seagulls which turned out to be an eagle, again!,with clear fingers on its wings and a longish tail. Howeer as we were viewig from below we could not tell whether it was a golden eagle or a sea eagle. I assumed perhaps a sea eagle as near the sea but was told that the goldern eagles fly on the coast too.
Into the walk we saw several other birds – a gannet; a family of our hooded crows sharing out a crab; greenfinches and several small brown birds. Onoe looked like a sparrow but had an orangey red head – so though I need to look this up I think this was a redpoll. (when I did look it up it didn't match the redpoll so am still not sure ) Later on saw a winchat by the sea on some meadow near Calgarry. Saw a greenfinch and again some very spotty birds – perhaps shore pipits as they were on the shore? and looked and behaved rather like meadow pipits. Days later in the heritage centre they had a rock pipit there - so i think this one could have been the same.

The gulls were taken from the ferry. At the time I thought most were herring gulls - but looking now it is not lclear whether the legs are pink or yellow...though that could be the light?

So pretty good day!

Retrospective from earlier in July - Scotland

Somehow I haven't had time to post the blogs I wrote whilst away on Mull, about a fortnight ago now, so am starting to gradually put them up - but of course the dates are all wrong! (and I am going to do it in parts...)

10^th July 2010 Connell Ferry near Oban, Scotland
We stayed here last night after coming up on the lovely west highland train. There was a beautiful sunset last night and the dog and I went for an early morning walk up this road, this morning. There are oystercatchers near the shore, and saw a a buzzard. And another bird flying that I couldn’t see properly – looked like a grey long tailed bird of prey. The plant life is varied with many bog plants different wet meadow orchids – and honeysuckle very close to the beach, and gulls coming close as we were on the ferry to Mull. (There may be shots of them in the next post)

Little owl and other update

I think the little owls must be nesting in the oak tree where I saw them in May (or nearby) as I have now seen one (and occasionally two) on a number of occasions. On Wednesday I had taken in my binoculars and had a very good view of a seemingly sleepy owl (one eye shut and one a bit open) perched on a high branch of the oak tree. Makes you wonder how often there are other birds perched near you that you just don't notice.....There was a film on Springwatch last night of little owls and it was good to see the close footage. The photo here is not related to little owls but is of a my young pears.

As ever, most of June gets occupied with keeping up in the garden (or trying to). Nevertheless this often involves wildlife in some form or other. Hence I can report that I heard a cuckoo from the garden this year, as I noted in my other Welsh blog (Aildysgu), and also on a walk a couple of weeks ago near Great Brickhill. The wood pigeon chick (there was just one) flew just over a week ago and now hangs round the garden, whilst in the pond, the tadpoles seem to be exactly the same size, making little progress towards being frogs.

Little owls and parakeets

Saw two little owls on Thursday in the oak tree by the bike path into work. I only noticed them because there was a very loud screeching coming from the tree which I thought initially might be a magpie - it did not sound like little owls I have heard in the past. I didn't have my binoculars with me and thought initially when I saw the first owl and heard it that it was a young tawny owl (though the head bobbing should have alerted me). A second owl then appeared and ran up a branch - and having checked out the cries on the RSPB site and having gone back to have another look (the appearing in daylight was another clue!) realised these were little owls. It would be great if they are nesting in this tree or nearby. I will keep a look out.

On Friday at the Chelsea flower show saw a pair of parakeets flying past and into a tree - I know they are breeding in London but still an unusual sight for me though I once saw on in Newport Pagnell - who knows what it was doing there!

Frost and sunshine in May

After a very cold spell where my potatoes were frosted just over a week ago we are now having a little heatwave. Everything is very green (though the garden is very dry) and growing at such a pace. The woodpidgeon in the garden nest is quietly tending the chicks - and interestingly all the usual coo-ing associated with them is absent. They are remarkably quiet and given that the nest is hardly a nest at all, just a few twigs, the nest and the pidgeons are really hard to see. You have to know it is there. The garden is coming into its best, with the love-in-a-mist just about to flower, and the irises just opening to the background of the peonies. It's been hard to do what I have needed to though - too hot to plant the cabbages and cauliflowers out during the day and a lot of time spent watering. Whilst watering some of the veg patch last night, I disturbed this frog in the strawberry patch which I hope is feasting on any slugs. Very welcome.

We have been listening for cuckoos but with no luck yet, and my run of seeing kingfishers seems to have ended even though many of my walks are near the river where they are often sited.

Water birds

The weather has stayed cold - much colder than May should be somehow. Last Saturday night (1st May) there was a thunderstorm followed by heavy rain with some parts getting about an inch of rain. Yet by Thursday this week, the soil seemed very dry again. Lat night we had more rain followed by a drizzly day today with outbreaks of more steady rain. So all good news for watering the garden, but not so good for getting into it and weeding.

This morning I stood by the river talking to a couple I know, when one of them told me they could hear a kingfisher call. I am not sure I heard it clearly - and will look it up on the RSPB site. But she told me, as others have, that you often see the kingfisher after hearing it, and indeed, a little while later we saw a bright blue flash as a kingfisher crossed the river into a tree on the other side. We didn't see any more, though we did see a little egret a little while later - the first, I think, that I have seen this year.

Back home in the wet garden the woodpigeon is sitting tight on her nest - and presumably her eggs. It's hard to see a proper nest in the tree and it is hard to get a good photograph from ground level. Nevertheless I have included it anyway.

Migrants and nestlings

The swifts have been back now for around 10 days - first seen over the garden on the 24th April, but that seemed to be just a couple of advance guards: by last Saturday (May 1st) there were a lot more, dong the usual screaming as they flew around. How can you not love them? On Sunday we saw a female wheatear down by River Meadow: I'd never noticed wheatears here until last year - but apparently they can appear in almost any grassland when migrating.

I have also seen the first chicks of the year: ducklings on the local river (two, on Sunday) and a rather bigger group, that looked the same age, on Willen lake, as I passed today. More locally, in our garden I noticed a blackbird chick on Sunday and we have been busy ensuring the cats have bells on their collars again, though I have to say it is the dog that is the bigger menace. Thankfully for the birds, the cats are quite old and no longer hunt, but the dog is very interested in small creatures that wonder around in the garden. However as he is only out there with us, we can keep an eye on him. Other birds nesting in the garden include a pair of woodpigeons (photo to come...); dunnocks (no idea where the nest is though), and possibly a second pair of blackbirds and blue tits. I think there are some long tailed tits nesting very nearby in the shrubs just over the wall. The woodpigeons are bad news really. Whilst I'm happy that the garden is wildlife friendly they are the kind of wildlife we could do without. They will just be seeing the garden as their local larder or free supermarket. And it is partly thanks to pigeon activity that I stopped growing broccoli.....

Walking along Hadrian's Wall

Our annual walking trip this year was along Hadrian's Wall in April. The weather was kind to us and I had forgotten just how lovely Northumberland is. I kept a diary of nature related events, posted below:

Day 1 11April
Not much to report from the first afternoon's walking from a few miles outside Newcastle (Wylam) to our first stop, around 8 miles, Though we did pass a nature reserve at a lake with a hide, there was no time to stop (:-(. By the time we finished our walk we were ready for a drink and our B&B.

Day 2 12April

Just completed 2nd day of walk here Brilliant day. Started off with a sighting of a sparrowhawk being chased by long tailed tits. (This sounds unlikely doesn't it? but am pretty sure that it was long tailed tits after it...) Then saw
kestrels and buzzards and later heard and saw curlews. Pheasants, rabbits, lapwing (just one!) very good time at Chesters fort and v good pub (for location) at lunchtime, with views over the Tyne, and buzzards calling. We stopped for the night at Simonburn, off the path, at a tea room/post office.
Day 3
The third day took the walk to wilder country, following the wall, visible much of the time, over the crags near and beyond Whin Sill. Jackdaws nested all along the crags and I wondered whether there might be peregrines, but we didn't see any. Fellow walkers saw dunlin. Meadow pipits were around but did not see any other upland birds, though did look out for golden plover and merlin too. Later I googled to see whether peregrines are seen here and the North East Wildlife Trust reports: The Whin Sill ‘corridor’ is important for upland and farmland birds including Lapwing, Curlew, Snipe and Golden Plover and raptors like the Merlin and Peregrine Falcon. Also further North are very important seabird colonies of the Farne Islands. The walking on this section was quite demanding though, so there was little time to look. Stayed in a very wonderful B&B 5 star, great views to the Lakes, and in the evening walked to an organic farm cafe

for dinner. Looked for but saw no signs of owls on the way.
Day 4 14 April
Took a path down to the river and to the fort ( ?) then gentle walking in lush countryside with the hills of Cumbria and Scotland in the distance. Saw our first swallow near the abbey then another at the farm near Walton. More lapwings (though not many). The best wildlife today was a pair of nuthatches which were flying in and out of an old roof in a delapidated building and in and out of a tree nearby though - so it looked as though they were nesting. The walking here was gentle and the sun shone again.
Day 5 last day

Now in fairly flat farmland doing our last stretch to Carlisle. Saw oystercatchers today.

Martins and kingfishers

Cycling back from work on the 1st April, a fairly cold, windy and somewhat showery day I realised that the two birds flying around Willen lake were martins. I didn't get the chance for a close look but presume they were house martins (although there are sand martins around there too, I believe). I couldn't help but think what a cold miserable day for them to turn up (assuming they had just got here). Imagine it. You are in Africa and decide to fly however many miles it is (a very long long way) to spend summer in the UK and you arrive in cold, wintry weather. However, there was certainly some suitable food a few days ago as the flies were getting into my eyes.

I felt really blessed at the weekend to see not only one but two kingfishers! One down on Bury Meadow, closish to the town on Sunday afternoon and then again yesterday morning just past where the rivers come together I saw another. Both were flash by's, really. I hung around having heard that sometimes you see the kingfishers again on their return flight (depends whether the first one was going or coming back I suppose...) but no luck. But I did see a crow fishing. It might not have been fishing for fish, but it was perched in a tree above the river and every so often it flew down to the surface of the river, its legs just touched the surface and it picked some food up from the river surface with its beak. It looked like bread, and it took it back to eat. At first I wasn't sure about what I had seen but I watched again and it was definitely able to take food from the river. I was reminded of the crows I saw in North Wales (in the Foryd, Caernarfon) that were dropping mussels on the road to crack them. Very clever birds.

Spring, spawn, swans and falcons

Spring has finally arrived after February remained very cold with frosts most day - and indeed the beginning of March was also very cold. During the week beginning the 1st March, much of the land around here was flooded after the river had broken its banks and then froze over leaving very icy conditions. By the 3rd the temperature had risen enough for the ice to have gone butone of the paths that I cycle on had patches that were completely under water - and I found a small fish swimming around in what used to be the path. The water receded over the next few days but it still remained very very cold.

However, by around the 12th March there were clear signs of Spring - the daffodils finally out when I was down in Bristol and by the 14th March (much later than last year) the first spawn was in our pond. However, it quickly disappeared (I suspect the wood pidgeons as it was near the edge of the pond) but more appeared over the next few days and by March 19th we had several clumps - and over the weekend there were up to 7 frogs at one time in the pond (see the photo of one of the parents). The apricot also came into blossom finally and I was pleased to see that there were a number of bees - bumble and honey in the greenhouse so I didn't hand pollinate this year - perhaps one of the perks of a late onset of Spring?

We went to the Ouse washes at the beginning of the month and I was pleased to be able to see tree sparrows outside the RSPB centre - and also that there were still swans to be seen. They weren't very close - and it was a very bitter cold day (though sunny) and I could not work out whether they were Bewick or Whooper (I haven't ever seen either of these before) and though I took some photos they are rather distant and not very clear. The sound recordings on the RSPB site did not really help either - though the swans were very vocal, they didn't sound like either of the recordings to me.

I spent the weekend before last in Bristol and we walked along the Avon Gorge and in the nearby park. The daffodils were finally out (again much later than usual). On the Sunday we saw a pair of peregrines (one much closer than the other) flying above the gorge. A pair have regularly nested there now for some years - and apparently know where they are supposed to be as I saw the first one just before the Peregrine Watch point.

Back home I was really pleased to see a kingfisher at the weekend on our local river (at Castle Meadow). They are always wonderful birds to see - but after such a hard winter, it was good to know that at least one had survived

And now the flooding

By last Sunday, a week ago, the snow had all cleared completely, to be replaced by fields turning into water meadows: the result of not only the snow melting but also quite a lot of rain and much milder weather. On visiting the Hanson nature reserve last Sunday afternoon we saw that a larger area of the lakes was still frozen as were the small ponds around the reserve – and some of this ice was quite deep. Near one of the hides most of the lake was frozen whilst the birds were a little closer (but not very) to the second hide. There were pochard, wigeon, tufted ducks, mallard and gadwall (and possibly other ducks); swans; lapwings. And many nosiy coots. But no cormorants, herons or egrets.

Though we stayed late and hoped to see owls as the light faded we saw neither barn owls or short eared owls. However, on an early morning walk to the bus just before 7 last Tuesday (19th) I heard our local tawny owl. Good to know that he/she? survived the cold. I must look it up – it’s the one that does the woo-ooo.

Am also keeping an eye on the feeders in the garden. These have been in place two weeks now and I have not seen anything come to them yet, though my husband tells me a robin has found the fat ball. But I’m told it takes at least a month for birds to get used to them, so we will see. There is a nut and seed feeder in the back that is empty so will see if refilling that helps – the current nut and seed feeder is in the front garden in a rather busy area, near the road – but there are no trees to hang it on further away from the road.

Still in "the big freeze"

So according to the media this is the "big freeze". It has certainly been extremely cold (parts of Scotland a degree warmer than the artic, apparently, the night before last). This morning the plants in the greenhouse had all collapsed. The parsley and the coriander had done very well, but clearly couldn't fight the extremely low temperatures - a bowl of water that had been keeping the vietnamese? or is it thai basil (Alison's) happy has frozen in the greenhouse.

I have started putting out mixes of breadcrumbs, cheese and seeds for the birds on top of a small step ladder - they do come and get a bit but not much, as far as I can see. I think this may be because they are not used to it - I have never put up garden feeders because of the cats...till now - so have gone for it and there is a nut feeder in the front with some seeds in as well and some suet and insects and a fat ball in the back. I think it may take them a while to come to it (if they do). But I think in the the current conditions they desparately need what help we can give them.

I don't think I've mentioned the goldcrests. We have an evergreen shrub in the garden, (see photo) which was there when we came - and was not the right size for the garden. It was already growing out of its space after a couple of years - but we have taken a couple of branches off and kept it because it attracts goldcrests - usually we see one or two, this morning there were two, so I assume it was probably a pair.

We walked through the cemetary this morning, but there was little to be seen down by the river and in the churchyard. Yesterday we saw several ducks, black headed gulls, commorants and a pair of goosanders in the afternoon, which flew off as we walked past. Actually there were some mallards today too - which started quacking as soon as they heard me coming - and were rewarded with some bread.

Very snowy and cold...

Our very pretty but very very cold weather continues - which must be very hard for the wildlife. The snow is still fairly deep on the ground and quite crunchy. Last night I heard the owl hooting again, which was good. I say "the owl" - there might be more than one I suppose? But anyway we get the "woo-oo" (not the "too-whit" part). If autumnwatch is still calling for observatinos (or records of hearing them I will send it in).

This morning I had a lovely sunny walk into the field which seemed very quiet at first sight but in fact I soon saw some chaffinches and then a reed bunring (I think... - need to check out the calls) and also a fieldfare and a plover flying over head. Have given up trying to thaw out the pond (I was putting a pan with very hot water on it as recommended - but it is very thick ice and freezes again almost straight away). We have not got feeders in the garden for the birds (because of the cats) but have started putting out a mix of breadcrumbs, seeds and cheese. I've seen a blackbird and robin come and feed, but nothing else yet - wonder whether I should put some crumbs in the flowerbeds where the birds are looking for food?

There is quite a lot of snow lying after the snow fall on Tuesday night-could not get into work yesterday and watched redwings just outside the garden - not close enough to get a good photo but they looked just like the ones on the Christmas card. I did take a distant photo too.

Another frosty bright day

This morning seemed slightly less cold than yesterday but nevertheless was very icy and again bright and sunny. The usual crossing into the riverside meadow is harder to get across at the moment because of the flood water that has turned to ice and the field looks like a small nature reserve - with a large flock of canada and grey geese. I scanned the flock but could not see anything else, though there were herons - I think 4 - standing as though on guard, completely still whilst the geese were moving around busily grazing.

One of the kestrels was out hunting again and on the way back home I disturbed a snipe. I've seen snipe in the field a few times, usually in the field by the river - this time it was in the wet hollow in the first field, and I only had a glimpse of the zig zag flight as it took off.

We were also out this afternoon for around an hour and a half and had a good sighting of a kingfisher that flew along the river near the Newport end, and perched on several branches as it flew down the river.

Icy and sunny new year

With Jim gone down with a bug and me recovering from the same bug, we didn't manage the longer new year's day walk that we often do - but nevertheless Tys and I were out for around an hour in the morning and another hour in the evening and again today. It's very cold and icy - the river flooded its banks a few days ago and much of the lying water is now ice, like the patch that Tyse nearly slipped into in the photo.

Yesterday I thought there was very little around - though when I stopped and looked into the trees at the edge of the arable field in Bury meadow there was a large brown bird perched not far from the rooks. It was at quite a distance so difficult to tell exactly what it was but from its size in relation to the rooks think it must have been a buzzard (though I did wonder about a tawny owl as it looked quite squat - but checking on its size it seemed to be much too big for that). I also saw the kestrel hunting in the morning. Interestingly it always seems to hunt around the ungrazed, rougher grass. Then when I went out again in the afternoon a kesrel was perched in the hedgerow (difficult to tell from the photo - I might have got closer but the dog walkers in front disturbed it...)

We walked onto the bridge in Newport having left the field and the flooded area was quite extensive (see photo).

Today it is also very cold but not quite as cold as yesterday and again very bright. We walked round the bury common river walk again (though the path over the stile by the mill is not passable because of the floods). Disturbed an egret which flew off quite close -very beautiful. We stopped along the river and watched the finches in the trees on the other side. There is a small clearing that is at the edge of woodland and quite rich in birds (and full of rabbits). There were several tits including some long tailed tits. Twenty years ago we didn't see many of these at all here but they are quite common now though we haven't seen them in the garden recently. Whilst I was watching I also saw a treecreeper - and had quite a good view as it flew from tree to tree. The river had little life on it, just a couple of mallards - and also a little grebe which was very shy.