of birds and bees

I have finally processed some of the photos of Redwings in Margravine Cemetery I took on a sunny 17th January.









After 2 months 1/2, nearly 3 now, of their presence, I shall miss the little fellows when they leave. It's been difficult to find them the past 2 days. I would initially find a few up in a tree, sometime singing, then a few more, and then they would finally end up on the ground looking for worms. That part they prefer, between Barons Court and Queens Club, will seem empty.



I felt very much under the weather today, but it looked so nice that I went and spent an hour in Margravine Cemetery. Primarily to check on the Redwings, then on the Great Spotted Woodpeckers. I haven't found yet if and where they've decided to nest this year, but they gave me fantastic views today. I even had them both in the same tree for a few minutes. First the male:


Then the female. First in a fairly classic pose:

Then a more unusual angle:


Then, I think I have been spotted:

That didn't distract her from finding food:

Even trying her best Blue Tit impression:


Lastly, the sunshine on the crocuses, now in full bloom:


And on one of those crocuses, a bumblebee, covered in pollen! I actually saw 2 today.

Sometimes...

..you find what you have been looking for, albeit not where you are looking for it, and/or when you are looking for it...
It can be difficult to say why one likes some birds more than others sometimes, but little grebes are amongst those for me. It's not a bird I see often on my patch, as a matter of fact I was quite surprised when I saw one a few times last year. I went to the Wetland Centre about 10 days ago and among others I was really hoping to see one, almost failed but was thrilled to find one towards the end of my visit.
When I discovered the Lonsdale Reservoir, one of the things that attracted me in coming back was the fact that I saw 3 of them there on my first visit. I have been 3 times this year and have yet to see one. I was really hoping yesterday since one had been reported during the week, but to no avail. And if was even more frustrating that someone else reported one later in the day...
This morning, I was doing a Thames21 cleanup at Kew Bridge. When I arrived the first thing I noticed, actually no, the second thing, as the first one was a grey heron by one of the yellow cages, were 2 smallish birds under the bridge. "no, can't be!", check with my bins, and "yes, it is!" Big grin :)

Earlier, on my way to the tube via Margravine Cemetery, as I was getting closer, once again, there was no missing the Redwings as they were chattering at the top of various trees. I didn't have time to stop and count them but, on my way back a few hours later, they were busy feeding on the ground and I counted 54 of them. They have now been around for over 2 months ;)

first signs of spring for 2010

The almost obligatory snowdrop photos... I went into Margravine Cemetery yesterday afternoon to photograph flowers. After all, I started this blog 3 years ago initially to record the passing of seasons. I noticed the first snowdrops about to flower on 25th January, which is 12 days later than last year.

Somehow the carpet doesn't seem as thick as in years past.

A few crocuses have also started flowering, and I managed to find some that were not damaged by the squirrels, who seem to be very fond of them. Unfortunately, I didn't note when I started seeing them appear last year, but I have an entry for 19th January 2008 reading " I also noticed that more crocus flowers had opened" which means that they are also slightly late.

We'll see if I get violets (one of my favourite flowers) on my birthday this year. I could just about guess buds on the ones most likely to flower first.

I had not gone into the cemetery to see the Redwings but I just couldn't miss them. For the second day running, they were at top of trees and very vocal. I managed to count 59 then. Then, on my way out I noticed that most had flown to the ground to feed. They were everywhere! I then managed to count 63, but I probably missed a few hidden behind gravestones and trees or still in trees, so I'd estimate them to be around 80.


They've been around since 12 December, only a few days and it'll be 2 months, numbers fluctuating but with a minimum of 20 every time I checked up on them. They're still as skittish as when they first arrived, but hiding behind a grave stone I managed to take some closer photos of this one by the old chapel of rest.



They've been a welcome addition to the cemetery this winter, especially as I never managed to find any goldcrests which is a shame after the 3 we had last winter.

It's happened again!

2 mornings in a row I was by the Thames early morning to see if the cold weather snap had brought up anything interesting, and to put it bluntly it had been pretty boring. Yesterday there was even a total lack of big gulls, apart from Great Black Backed. Not even the regular Lesser Black-Backed.
This morning I didn't go because I was due at 11 by Barnes Bridge for another Thames 21 cleanup. Guess what? 2 Red-breasted Mergansers were reported on the river this morning, seen from the Wetland Centre. Just like the day they reported the Egret, can't remember where I was that day but it wasn't around. One day...

Still, when I came back from Barnes Bridge, I had a very quick look in Margravine Cemetery, and spotted the Redwings again, about 35 of them. Most (at least 23) were going through the leaf litter, as thankfully the staff haven't taken all those away, but some were also eating berries on the shrubs. And as a bonus I had a Mistle Thrush, pretty much in the exact same spot as Monday morning :)

Redwings again

8 days on and the redwings are still in Margravine Cemetery. I estimated at least 25 of them yesterday afternoon, but I had a definite 19 on the ground in my bins at one point. And having watched them fly around the cemetery for a few days, I am now pretty convinced that I had caught a glimpse of some of them on the Saturday on my way to the shops before they'd disappear behind buildings.
A combination of the fact that there are not quite as many berries at the top now, them maybe getting a little bit more used to passers by, some sunshine, and I finally managed some much nicer photos of 1 of them:


For more photos of this bird, click on the photo above, or here.

I have also tried to take photos of them amongst the graves, as I try with any bird in the cemetery as much as possible, as this makes it more location-specific. Unfortunately, more often than not, this is all I get, if I get anything:


I did manage however to get a few with graves in the background.



Redwing trying to blend in by doing a robin impersonation...



To finish, one of our near-obese squirrels, but even with their extra fat they appear to be feeling the cold too, I spotted one taking bark off branches to add to its nest:

Redwings!

It may not be that big a deal elsewhere, but I've seen Redwings in Margravine Cemetery for 4 days now. Considering I'd never seen more than 1 individual at a time before, and that I'd never found them again the next day, it is a big deal to me.
I was busy on Sunday with cooking and baking and didn't intend to go out check the birds. But I needed more baking supplies and a quick trip to Chiswick had to be done. On my way to the tube, I thought I'd check the shrubs I'd been keeping an eye on the past few weeks as it was totally covered with berries. So far all I'd seen there were woodpigeons, blackbirds and chaffinches but this time there were this shapes in the foliage at the top, too big for chaffinch, too small for blackbird, so I got my small bins out: redwings, 2, maybe 3 of them! And they were still there when I came back an hour or so later, but by then the light was pretty bad and the cemetery was going to close.
So, bright and early on Monday morning, I was out in the cemetery. It wasn't too bright yet, hence the photos below are not the best quality, especially as they're flighty little buggers and I couldn't get too close. I initially spotted 1 or 2 on the shrub and then turned left: there were at least a dozen on the ground by the memorial wall!






Yum, juicy earthworm! If there is one thing Margravine Cemetery is rich of, it is earthworms, which is probably why there are always lots of blackbirds around, but also why there is a lot of this pretty much every where:


I wish the redwings were a bit less shy, more like this individual, which, even though it wouldn't let me get too close, at least it is in the middle outer reaches, which give much nicer photos

than this, high up in the canopy against a white sky...



But beggars can't be choosers I guess...
On Tuesday, I didn't have much time, but managed to spot 7 of them around the shrub. Today, however, I took a bit more time at the beginning of the afternoon, in the 'snowstorm'. No sooner had I spotted a few on the ground that they took off, leaf-blowing was starting and the guy was getting close. I followed them from tree to tree and counted up to 19 in 1 and 2 in another at one end of the cemetery. Got my camera out of my bag, but by the time I had it out, a small tractor was entering the cemetery and they took flight, back to where we came. So I followed, spotting 22 Goldfinch in a birch (I think) on the way. Relocated a few in the shrub, but then the leaf-blower arrived under there and they took off again... This time, I went back home.