Local Patch – 27 March 11. Pictures include Bullrush in the morning light, Egyptian goose, wren, goldcrest, roe deer

Things have really “hotted-up” this week with birds turning up on the pond in quite good numbers. Three shovelers arrived for about 3 days, I have never recorded these on my list before and bring the number of birds for the area to 90. Three or four green sandpipers arrived together and the morning the little-ringed plovers came back we also had a “fall” of chiff chaffs to add to the few that had previously arrived. The small herd of Roe Deer can be seen in various places and I came across them one morning wandering along the bank of the canal. They were not too worried by the fact that I was there, maybe feeling safe with the fact that the canal lay between us. I love this early springtime with the morning light that gives some good atmospheric pictures and if I’m patient, the wildlife has thoughts on other things so not too bothered by my presence. Cuckoo Flowers (Lady’s Smock) is out along the wet ditch and is in good numbers and I have seen a few bumble bees about.

Local Patch - March 2011. Pictures of mating great crested grebes

20 March 2011 Things have had that grey look through this winter with very little sunshine and lack of information to put onto the Blog about the Patch. But spring is almost here. Chiff chaffs arrived yesterday and lapwings, redshank and snipe are on the pond. I have only recorded snipe once before when one flew over a few years ago. Kingfishers are back on both the canal and the river. There is also a pair of kestrels. The linnets which were new visitors to the area just last year have stayed and there is now a flock of about 15 birds, this is good news! The pictures of the great crested grebes mating were taken a couple of weeks ago, early one morning in a light drizzle. There was no “dance” or weed collecting. The female just climbed onto this small bank of mud and created herself into an inverted U shape before stretching her neck out and laying her neck on the water. The male’s crest almost took off! He then climbed on top of her and then slid off over her head after they mated. More pictures of this ritual can be found on my Flickr. There seems to be good numbers of greenfinches as well and their nasal sounds can be heard right around the walk.