April Local Visits - 2022

To give my reader(s?) a break from repetition of my garden birds (and other wildlife), I am offering an account of a few local places I visited during April. All my outings, for various reasons, were at the back end of the month, and partly inspired by wanting to check if any damselflies or dragonflies had emerged - if they had, I didn't see them!

Thursday, 21st April              Saltersford Valley Country Park

A morning hospital visit in Burton on Trent had me wanting to get out and stretch my legs in the afternoon, so I headed for Saltersford Valley CP. 

Soon after entering the site, I found my first Speckled Wood butterfly of the year.

Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria) - Saltersford Valley CP

I saw several more of this species during the visit, and it was good to see them doing well.

Saltersford Valley CP is centred on flashes caused by the subsidence of disused coal mines. One of the two lakes is fed by what, at first glance, appears to be a spring. However, it seems that it might be water being pushed up from flooded mines with some sort of polution, as the water emitted is stained a rusty orange colour and this permeates the major portion of the lake. It does not, however, appear to be detrimental to wildlife, as birds and insects seem to thrive here. My next image shows the colour of the water.

Great Crested Grebe (Podiceps cristatus) - Saltersford Valley CP

Also on the lake were a pair of Coot with two young in tow, but I did not get any sensible photos.

The only other thing of interest photographed was a hoverfly species that I do not recall seeing before. You can tell it's a male because the eyes meet in the middle - in the female, they are well separated. 

hoverfly (Myathreopa florea) (male) - Saltersford Valley CP

Saturday, 23rd April                       Saltersford Valley Country Park ; Pastures Lane

I returned to Saltersford Valley CP on this day, but this time, rather than park in the Saltersford Valley CP car park, I parked in the Oakthorpe Colliery car park and took a public footpath to Saltersford Valley CP. This time there was rather more to see.

At the start of the boardwalk was this flower, which I believe to be Cuckooflower.

Cuckooflower (Cardamine pratensis) - Saltersford Valley CP

Along the boardwalk, I found a Canada Goose closely watching me as it lay on a nest incubating eggs.

Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) - Saltersford Valley CP

Towards the far end of the site, my eye was taken by what I at first thought was a wasp species, but now believe to  be Nomada lathburiana - a cuckoo bee.

cuckoo bee (Nomada lathburiana) - Saltersford Valley CP

I saw a few more butterfly species, which was encouraging.

Peacock (Aglais io) - Saltersford Valley CP

Green-veined White (Pieris napi) (male) - Saltersford Valley CP

Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria) - Saltersford Valley CP

I was pleased to see that the Coots still had their two young, one of which is shown in the second image below.

Coot (Fulica atra) - Saltersford Valley CP

I took a different return route to my car, passing along Pastures Lane, which is a roughly-surfaced road to Pastures Farm. At one point, a reasonably sized lake is about 150 metres to the north west of the lane. The head of a breeding-plumaged male Cormorant was just visible over the brow of the interevening pasture. I do like Cormorants in this statae of plumage!

Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo) (male - breeding plumage) from Pastures Lane

Further along the lane, I photographed a Small Tortoiseshell butterfly. By its tattiness, I guess this is one that overwintered somewhere.

Small Tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae) - Pastures Lane

Monday, 25th April                 Heather Lake

Heather Lake is another of my favourite dragonfly spots, but is rarely interesting for birds, although I did once have the pleasure of encountering a Spotted Flycatcher here.

An Orange-tip butterfly, with the orange tips just detectable through the wings showing it to be a male, sat patiently while I photographed it.

Orange-tip (Anthocharis cardamines) (male) - Heather Lake

At one point, where there is a narrow path between hedge and water, there were some noises on the path ahead of me. I waited and eventually was approached by a lady with push-chair and child, who informed me that there was a Moorhen nest with eggs in the water just beside the path. I continued gingerly and spotted the nest which appeared to have at least six eggs in it. The Moorhen was way out in the lake, presumably having been frightened off the nest by woman and noisy child.

Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) (nest + eggs) - Heather Lake

Further round the lake, a furry creature ran across the path just a metre or so in front of me and plopped into the lake. My immediate thought was Water Vole, but when I looked at the only shot I managed to grab, I came to the conclusion that it was a juvenile Brown Rat! Please tell me if I am wrong.

Brown Rat (Rattus norvegicus) (juvenile) - Heather Lake

Having passed once round the lake and seen little, I decided to cover totally new ground for me by continuing on the footpath beyond the lake, including taking a side branch too. Little of great interest was seen, although it was good to explore, but I did get a shot of a Small Totroiseshell in better condition.

Small Tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae) -beyond Heather Lake

I came back to the lake, keeping clear of the side which had the Moorhen nest, and found a Moorhen close to me, which beat a hasty retreat.

Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) - Heather Lake

Before reaching my car, I spotted a patch of Cowslips a couple of which had bright orange-red flowers, rather than the creamy yellow that is normal for this species. You can just see the colour of the yellow ones in the top right corner.

Cowslip - near Heather Lake

Thursday, 28th April              Hicks Lodge

On this day, I parked at Oakthorpe Colliery car park and walked into Hicks Lodge. Beside the path in, there was a Greylag Goose quite close but on the other side of a hedge. I managed to poke my lens between the branches and get a few shots.

Greylag Goose (Anser anser) - Hicks Lodge

Further on, a Greylag flew overhead.

Greylag Goose (Anser anser) - Hicks Lodge

There were Cowslips in flower here too, so I took some shots of ones in the usual colour!

Cowslip (Primula veris) - Hicks Lodge

As I started down the west side of the main lake, a Moorhen trundled across the grass in front of me.

Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) - Hicks Lodge

I noticed a small wader fly up from the edge of the lake and head off into the far distance, so I proceeded with stealthy caution. I then briefly spotted a Common Sandpiper of which I only managed to get a shot of its backside before it disappeared. I did, however, manage a shot of the Pied Wagtail that was with it.

Pied Wagtail (Motacilla alba yarrellii) (male) - Hicks Lodge

I carried on past the end of the lake, and then turned left to gain a path that heads to a smaller lake which lies to the north west of the main lake.

The lake only seemed to hold a Coot and a Little Grebe. I spent nearly half an hour hiding behind a bush, hoping the Little Grebe would come closer, but it didn't.

Little Grebe (Tachybaptus ruficollis) - Hicks Lodge

Coot (Fulica atra) -Hicks Lodge

Back at the main lake, I managed to focus on a Reed Bunting that was lurking in the back of a bush.

 

Reed Bunting (Emberiza schoeniclus) (female) - Hicks Lodge

I first saw and photographed a Bar-headed Goose at Hicks Lodge in 2018. I have seen and photographed (presumably) the same bird every year since then except in 2021. I have no doubt that this bird is an escape from somewhere, although it is not ringed. I do, nevertheless, find it an attractive bird, and was delighted to see it on this day.

Bar-headed Goose (Anser indicus) - Hicks Lodge

After a session photographing the goose, I was delighted to manage a shot of a fly-past Common Sandpiper.

 

Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos) - Hicks Lodge

As I started heading back to my car, a group of Canada Geese flew over.

 

Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) - Hicks Lodge

Back at the car at Oakthorpe Colliery, while I sorted myself out, a female Common Pheasant hove into view. I couldn't help but think that this poor creature was here because someone bred it so that it could be shot at by some cretin with a gun! Such a beautiful bird!

 

Common Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) (female) - Oakthorpe Colliery

Friday, 29th April                  Saltersford Valley CP

 

A Quick visit to Saltersford Valley CP was not very productive, although I did have the good fortune to bump into an old friend, Mick Smith - it was great to have a chat. I did take some shots of a relatively common hoverfly. This one was a female - eyes well-separated.

 

hoverfly (Eristalis pertinax) (female) - Saltersford Valley CP

My greatest excitement was at finding a pair of mating Dark-edged Bee-fly. I am rather fond of this species, but have never seen them mating before. At first, I thought it was a rather long insect flying around. Fortunately they settled and I managed a few photos.

 

Dark-edged Bee-fly (Bombylius major) (male+female) - Saltersford Valley CP

Again, I found a Reed Bunting in a bush, but this one was a bit more visible.

 

Reed Bunting (Emberiza schoeniclus) (male) -Saltersford Valley CP

Saturday, 30th April               Heather Lake

 

I had time for a brief late-morning return to Heather Lake on this day.  Sadly, I found the remains of the Moorhen nest abandoned, with no eggs visible. I suspect that someone had allowed their dog to enter the water here (a common practice at this location).

I only photographed a Moorhen and, on my way back to the car, a distant Wren.

Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) - Heather Lake

Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes) - Heather Lake

That brings me to  the end of the month of April. May has got off to a slightly slower start, but my next blog post will almost certainly cover my April garden observations, and will appear in about a week's time from the date of this blog post. In the meantime, please take good care of yourselves and Nature.

 

Thank you for dropping by - - - Richard

 

 

Goosander and a Goose - on 6th February, 2020

Sorry - couldn't resist that vaguely palindromic title for this short post!

I'd not been out birding for nearly a week, the sun was shining, and I had a couple of hours to spare, so I set off to go to nearby Hicks Lodge. I parked in Oakthorpe Colliery car park, decided to leave my wellington boots in the car as, although the path into Hicks Lodge from the car park had been very muddy on my previous visit, we'd enjoyed a spell of dryer windy weather so I was confident that conditions would be better - wrong, the path was even worse and the muddy water came over the top of my footwear! Undaunted, I continued. Without further 'beating about the bush', here's how the brief visit unfolded.

This is the bush that I didn't 'beat about' - it was a joy to see the gorse in bloom as I neared the lakes. I realise now that I'm probably thoroughly confusing my overseas readers - I'm even in danger of confusing myself!

Gorse (Ulex europaeus) - Hicks Lodge

The second small pond on my right, before I got to the main lake, held a couple of Coot. The water was sheltered and as still as a mill pond.

Coot (Fulica atra) - Hicks Lodge

Over on the main lake, I quickly spotted the Bar-headed Goose amid thr Canada Geese on the far side of the lake. This bird has been here for well-over a year now, and is considered to be'an escape'. However, I enjoy seeing it. This is the 'Goose' referred to in the title of this post.

Bar-headed Goose (Anser indicus) - Hicks Lodge

This year I have resolved to record my wildlife sightings and report them to the appropriate  County Recorders. I counted 111 Canada Geese and 45 Lapwing. Here's a shot containing both species

Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus)  + Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) - Hicks Lodge

I spent a little time in the hide here, but to no avail, when I spotted a drake Goosander on the far side of the lake, so I trotted round the path, watching out for hazards of boisterous dogs and speeding cyclists.

This Canada Goose was OK until I stopped, but was wary and headed for the water, so I grabbed a quick shot before continuing along the path. 

Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) - Hicks Lodge

I stopped to take some shots of the Goosander which, obligingly, cruised past at a distance of only about 50 metres,

Goosander (Mergus merganser) (male) - Hicks Lodge

My feet were reasonably dry by this time and, as I didn't fancy getting them wet and muddy again, I decided to return to my car by road. This added approximately 1 mile (1600 metres) to my journey back but was well worth it.

Back at my car, I sat and relaxed for a while, watching the birds coming to the feeders, but no worthwhile photos resulted. It was time to head home and start cooking tea.

Thank you for dropping by - again, I'm not sure what my next post will bring. Time will tell!

A Short Visit to Hicks Lodge - on 29th October, 2019

My last blog post concerned a visit to Rutland Water on 10th October. Sadly, I'd been a bit too enthusiastic about my recovery from my earlier ills, and had overdone the physical exercise somewhat, resulting in me feeling almost as uncomfortable as I did when I left hospital at the end of July. This, to use a good old English expression, put the wind up me more than just a little, particularly when, on my wife Lindsay's recommendation, I read an article which stated that the condition for which I'd been hospitalised had a 15% mortality rate! I have, therefore, been taking it easy.

However, on 29th October I felt sufficiently recovered to have my first trip out for nearly three weeks. My chosen venue was Hicks Lodge, which is only a couple of miles (approximately 3 km) from my home.

I parked in the Oakthorpe Colliery car park, where there are bird feeders. However, these were empty when I arrived so I put out some bird seed and some peanuts, and sat and waited for quarter of an hour. The only thing to arrive was a Grey Squirrel, so I set off on foot to Hicks Lodge. 

About ten minutes into my walk I glimpsed a distant, but colourful, pair of birds flying in front of the new woodland area. I tried for a few shots, but failed. Fortunately, however, they turned and flew over the path, very much closer to me. I don't recall seeing Egyptian Geese before at Hicks Lodge.

I have always considered Egyptian Geese to be ugly, and a nuisance as they usually start breeding early in the year, often taking over the nests of other birds that have not yet returned to breed. This has been a problem at Rutland Water, where they occupy the Osprey nests.  On this occasion, however, I was struck by how splendid they looked in flight.

Egyptian Goose (Alopochen aegyptiaca) - Hicks Lodge

Further along the path, to the west I could see the usual flock of white domestic geese on the lake. A bit further on, in a meadow, there was a mixed flock of Canada Geese and Greylag Geese. I was pleased to see that the Bar-headed Goose was still with them. I guess this bird has to have been an escapee at some time, but I think it has been on this site for over a year now.

Bar-headed Goose (Anser indicus) with Canada Geese (Branta canadensis) - Hicks Lodge

By the main lake, I saw what I at first thought was a day-flying moth with pale wings. It seemed to settle on a nearby branch. It took a while to find it, and I found myself looking at a large caddis fly.  

caddis fly (Anabolia nervosa) - Hicks Lodge

Sadly, there was little of great interest to see by the main lake. There were a few Lapwing and Snipe around on the island, but most were sheltering from the cold wind in the vegetation on the far (leeward) side of the of the island that is nearest the hide, and I could only get very distant views.

Common Snipe (Gallinago gallinago) (x5!) + Northern Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus) - Hicks Lodge

After about an hour and a half it was necessary for me to set back towards my car as the gates of the car park close at 16h00. 

A very distant Kestrel landed on top of a hedge-line

Common Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) (female) - Hicks Lodge

Further along the path, a Wren announced its presence by an unmissable chattering. It took a bit of spotting, however!

Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes) - Hicks Lodge

With little seen, I was back at my car somewhat earlier than anticipated so I topped up the bird seed and peanuts, and sat in my car and waited once more. This time, there was a little more action and, as well as the grey squirrel, there were several Great Tits, a Robin, a Nuthatch, and a Great Spotted Woodpecker which stayed in the distance and didn't pluck up the courage to approach the feeders due to the endless supply of dog-walkers using the car park. The only thing I photographed was a Nuthatch, and that not too successfully!

Nuthatch (Sitta europaea) - Oakthorpe Colliery

Bird and photography-wise it had been an unproductive afternoon, but at least it had got me out of the house and back into nature. 

This post was written over a week ago, primarily, to fill a long gap and give me something to publish having returned from a break in Dorset. I'll now be processing the photos from that break.

Thank you for dropping by