Geese, Deer, Terns & More

My apologies for the lack of posts in the past week, Just haven't seem to gotten around to writing. So I shall write this and hopefully you wont be bored by the ramblings of a weeks adventures.

So after telling myself I wouldn't visit Rooksbury in the evenings to let the Otters have a little rest from one less spectator, I headed down last Tuesday lunchtime in some nice bright light, and had the pleasure of watching a pair of Common Terns fishing for a rather unexpected 10mins or so, before they disappeared rather as abruptly as they appeared. Not a species I've seen down at Rooksbury or in and around landlocked Andover for that matter. Noisy blighter's mind!

Common Tern

Rooksbury Tern

So still in the quest for Otters but some that might be a little more local and without the disruption of other voyeurs I sat up down on the conflux of the Half Water and the River Test (Once all of the Fishermen had gone home), Dad had been seeing the odd sign and it seemed like a good a spot as any. Perched on my stool facing downstream I could see in both directions, and a quick turn of the head back upstream, so whilst becoming increasingly distracted by the new river Mute Swan arrivals all 7 of them, I heard something behind me and a quick glance around upstream resulted in a Brownish shape swimming across the river nearly at the far bank a good 100 yards away, now I wouldn't like to swear on it being a Water Vole because it could well have been an Otters head, but the rather large splash that occurred a minute or so later confused me even more.

I did however manage to capture another unexpected visitor to the River bank, Just wish I hadn't been quite so exposed so the Muntjac Buck might have come a little closer. A good spot all in all, with Sedge Warbler, Chiffchaff, Swift, Swallow, Kestrel, Tufted Duck, Coot, Moorhen, Little Grebe, Long Tailed Tit &  Blue Tit all seen too. As the light started to fade I caught sight of this little Roe Doe in the amongst the trees, who seemed quite happy to pose for me.

Mute Swans & Cygnets

Muntjac Buck

Roe Doe

Monday night in glorious sunshine, I headed up the river in pursuit in some recently spotted Hobby's, no such luck however I did add to my 2012 list with addition of 2 Spotted Flycatchers. Also quite abundant on the River bank along with the obligatory Chiffchaff was Bullfinches, 3 pairs spotted on one stretch alone. With nothing really playing ball for the camera, I thought I'd check up on the Greylags, the goslings are growing up pretty fast and there seem to be more there than before too. A Cock Pheasant was quite obliging on the way home too.

A small proportion of the Greylags

Spring Cock

With a lot dryer weather set for a few days, my evening job as groundsman for St. Mary Bourne Cricket Club is taking slightly more presidence than getting out with the camera, but why not merge the two I hear you say! Well I kinda did, a regular visitor to my square when the mowers going the male Blackbird.

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Sunday's Otter Pics

I went down to Rooksbury again on Tuesday night in the hope of a sighting with dad, but the shear amount of people everywhere seemed to be the best reason to blame why we didn't see anything. Photographers & Joe public jumping up here and there, moving every 5 minutes, talking right on the edge of the water, towering above the skyline.

I hate to sound like Im being selfish and wanting them all to myself, because that isn't the case at all, Im all for encouraging people to view the wondrous wildlife we have to offer. I just wish people had the decency to have to wait and earn the luxury of Otter watching not just turn up and expect said Otters to be performing on tap. Time spent being quiet, stealthy, low down and still, have sufficed for me and Im sure by doing so I know Im not disturbing the wildlife or anyone else's enjoyment of it .

Sorry for the rant as promised my Otter pictures from Sunday evening, nice to finally capture them out of the water too without a raucous audience!

Awesome Otters - Video

I spent my friday evening down at Rooksbury again in the hope of seeing the Otters in some decent light, however my visit proved unsuccessful as I stayed till it got dark. Joined by quite a few others, in various states from hidden & well camouflaged to standing on the waters edge talking rather loudly, it seems that word gets around quite quickly, no surprises then that they didn't show, I heard tale that this was also the same on Saturday evening as around 25-30 People had the lake surrounded.

So I was a bit dubious turning up at around 7pm on Sunday to find hardly any cars parked, what time could I expect the hoards of spectators? With Nat down for the weekend and not having been out with the camera I thought it might be a good way to kill a couple of hours and share with her seeing the Ottersome spectacle. A quick catch up with fellow Photographer Grant (who told me he has been spending way too much time in pursuit of the Otters - and was off home for the evening), and a brief encounter with a rather podgy Water Vole, we setup on the lakes edge, perched low down and hidden by the bank behind us. Expecting a little bit of a wait as the Sun was still a fair way above the horizon cast a late evening glow over the waters surface. 

25 mins later at exactly 8pm movement in the reed on the opposing side of the bank, and two Otters emerged in to the water in front of us. I've a fair few pictures to edit, but did have a go at some video. This short clip im pretty sure is of the Dog Otter.

I sent a quick text to Grant, more to gloat than anything I guess about how they had been out and in front of us for a good 15 mins. 5 minutes later he was sat beside us with his son, who had just been about to get in the bath, but rather speedily got told to re-dress if he wanted to witness his first Otter sighting. Both Otters proceeded to show in front of us before swimming off up the lake towards the deeper water in full play mode, rising and diving again in front of us a fair distance out in the late evening glow.

I haven't really used the Video function on my DSLR before but Im quite happy with the results. I don't think my Girlfriend quite knows how jealous I am that she managed to turn up and after 25 mins had witnessed something special without having to sit through Otterless hours! I hope you enjoy as much we did!

Pictures to follow, when I've had chance to edit them.

The Ugly Ducklings

The Mute Swans have finally hatched off down at Rooksbury, although it seems only 2 of the 7 eggs actually hatched, I managed to catch up with them on Friday lunchtime in some rather warm sunshine. The two Cygnets are pretty mobile already, following Mom & Dad all around the lake.

Its amazing how much difference a few rays of sunshine make. Not a lot else about on the water other than a pair of Coot, Mallard & Gadwall. But that could be something to do with the now resident Otters.

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My First English Otter

For about the past Month or so, various sightings of Otters have been coming in from my local reserve at Rooksbury, and on several unsuccessful occasions I've staked out the lakes in the hope of seeing the four legged water beasts. So with other photographers starting to get some great shots frequently I thought it about time I gave it another go, so Monday evening I headed down around half 6ish and sat quietly on the waters edge waiting. The occasional Mallard and Coot drifting past the only species disturbing the waters surface. Around 7.55pm I noticed a ripple gaining into a rather large wave at the end of the lake, but nothing braking the surface, as you do I got a little bit more alert, shifting restlessly in my seat. 10mins later and out of nowhere 2 heads appear from beneath an over hanging willow, heading my way. Two adult wild english Otters, my third sighting ever and my first outside of Scotland. MAGIC!

My First English Otters

As they dived I couldn't help but think that was it, as a group of 4 youths shouting and spitting walked the path behind me, positively sure they had disrupted Mr & Mrs Otter for the evening I felt like following them down the path and pushing them in the water, but no sooner had they dispersed before Mr. Otter reappeared and seemingly oblivious to anything else in the water.

He had a good mooch around the edge of the floating reed before swimming out into the middle of the water. No more than 25 ft in-front of me. Im not sure if he heard the shutter firing on my camera or more likely he caught my scent, but I can't complain about the 2 mins or so a totally wild Dog Otter floated before me almost posing.

As the light faded even more and the rain started to fall, both reappeared and soon caught a rather large Carp from the lake, easily the same size as the female, and dragged it off into the overhanging willows to devour. A totally magical and truly unforgettable experience, even if I did find myself questioning why I was stood in the pouring rain!

I returned on Tuesday evening also hoping for a repeat performance and sat with a couple of fellow photographers, no clear sightings, but plenty of noise and squealing as we think the mother was playing with her cub in some foliage on the far side of the lake. a quick glance seemed to confirm this as both entered the water briefly at 8.45pm and neither the same size as the dog Otter I had seen before.

If your interested in some rather better Photographs than my own, Grant a fellow photographer had some great luck yesterday afternoon during a rain shower - check his shots out on .Grant's Facebook.

Also if you fancy being kept up to date with my adventures I'd be very grateful if you liked my FB page. Martin Clay Photography my apologies for the shameless plug.

Garden Birding & New Arrivals

Confined to barracks by the weather, I set the tripod up in the porch on a very grey and cold May Saturday morning, hoping to capture some of the activity on the seed feeding station in the garden, which now gets refilled every other day. The local Goldfinches & Greenfinches are quite partial to emptying the Niger and particularly Sunflower feeders. Whilst crippling mothers purse, it does mean that there frequent visits mean I didn't have to wait too long for a photo opportunity.

Greenfinch

Greenfinch 

Goldfinch

With the Goldies and Greenies not pausing to long on the uprights before descending upon the nuts, I hoped for a slightly slower moving bird. The next to visit was the Coal Tit who seems incapable of staying more than 2 seconds to feed, Im not sure if its a size thing, as an inferior sized member of the Tit family he / she might be intimidated by the larger birds or just the fact they've got a lot of hungry mouths to feed and can't hang around socializing over lunch. 

Finally some slow moving garden inhabitants, as 4 Long tailed Tits joined a couple of Blue Tits on their feeder of choice containing the Fat balls. I think they are such characters!

A midday phone-call, and panic stations!!! Prepare a cricket pitch to play on in less than 24 hours, 10mins later from short drive up the valley, and Im watching 2 rather unexpected visitors in a pair of Ravens circling the field next to my cricket pitch. I don't ever recall seeing them in this part of sleepy Hampshire before. As the afternoon progressed and the sun deciding to put in an appearance, once back in Longparish I thought I'd check on the Greylags, the Goslings seem to have grown substantially in the week or so since I first saw them as a Geese grazed side by side with the rough looking rare breed sheep.

Greylag

I was quite surprised to find a Goldcrest singing in the tree above me as I noticed the newest family arrivals in the village a Mute Swan pair with 4 fluffy grey Cygnets, who couldn't have been no more than a couple of days old.

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Water Vole Aquatics & No.122

With some birthday money from my grandparents invested wisely I think in a new Manfrotto Tripod and Ball Head, I thought I better head out somewhere to road test it. So friday lunchtime I popped down to Rooksbury Mill for a mooch about. The weather was as it has been for weeks pretty undecisive, one minute sunny the other doom and gloom.

A quick scan of both lakes prooved pretty unfulfilling, the normal Mute Swans, Coot, Mallard, Gadwall & Tufted Duck the only inhabitants, so I focused my attentions on the River Anton, as there seemed to be plenty of Water Vole activity. From a good vantage point from the bridge its quite brilliant to watch these little mammals bombing up and down the waterway and running along the top of the faggots aiding the flow.

The bridge proved to also be a pretty good spot for birds, as I added another species to my year list the Whitethroat (No. 122) I had heard 2 different calling males prior to actually seeing him. Decent photo opportunities at a minimum, as for whence emerging in the open, he was bombarded by a male Blackcap, Who seemed pretty adamant to sing a whole lot louder and in-competition with the dozen or so other Blackcaps perched on the riverside branches.

Whitethroat

Female Blackcap

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