Return To Humdrum & The Rain

I've been back from Pembrokeshire for nearly three weeks and would love to share a wide variety of Wildlife adventures in those weeks, but Im afraid due to most wind and a whole lot of rain, Birding in Hampshire hasn't been overly successful.

After being one of the latter additions to the Garden species list (which now stands at 61) the Nuthatch is now making up for its earlier no show. Frequent visits every 3 or 4 minutes indicated a nest with young not to far away, and this theory proved correct as over the weekend, plenty of chirping was heard from the nearby trees and 4 Nuthatches bombing about at once. The opportunity to photograph one however has proved pretty tricky, what with the lighting conditions and the speed at which they feed on the nuts high ISO's have been the order of the day.

Adult Nuthatch

Finally One Stopped Still

We've had plenty of other visitors lately to the feeding station including this rather odd looking Jay, I can't decide if it looks bedraggled because of the weather, or because its a Juvenile. There is just something about its appearance that isn't right, I just cannot put my finger on it. But it certainly adds a rather larger colour addition to the bird table other than the smaller Greenfinches and Goldfinches who have both been joined by fledged young in the past week or so. The Pied Wagtail is a regular visitor to the lawn and great amusement to the dogs as they wait to see how far it will get towards the backdoor before bundling out after it.

Young or Bedraggled Jay? 

Pied Wagtail

With the fishing season in full swing access to the riverbank at a sensible hour is pretty non excitant, luckily the past fortnight has been for weed cutting, therefore no fishing, enabling me to get out and see whats new and exciting on the River. Firstly the Little Grebes not far from the bottom of the garden have successfully hatched off 2 young and even stayed in sight long enough to allow a picture. In the 2 mile or so stretch of water we have 4 pairs all with young.

Little Grebe Adult & Young

Little Grebe Young

The Mute Swans soon appeared in their usual spot and it was good to see that they still have all 7 Cygnets in tow, funny to see them in exactly the same spot of river as when I photographed them 3 weeks previous. Along with the Swan and Grebe young quite a few Coot chicks follow there parents up and down the waterway, one brood with 5 chicks in.

Mute Swans & Mom

Coot Chick 

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