Rooksbury Water Voles - August 2014

Lunchtime wildlife trips seemed to have dried up during the first half of 2014, but come August with the sun basking down on Andover, I managed to escape the office for an hour and headed down to Rooksbury Mill. Lots of Water Vole activity on the back streams, and several individuals showed themselves often munching on a watercress supper, such characters!

If you are a social media user, Feel free to follow me on Facebook or Twitter for up to date sightings & photographs, any 'Comments & Criticisms' are welcomed.

Facebook  •  Twitter  

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.

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

http://www.facebook.com/MartinClayPhotography

Spring In The Step

With the weather pretty indecisive last week I only managed to get down to Rooksbury Mill the once, everything seems to be paired off, and the arrival of a second Great crested Grebe looks good for this springs nesting. A few shots taken on Tuesday lunchtime, in some really bright conditions. I love how the sun hits the water and sparkles around these Swans!

Mute Swan

Mute Swan Sparkles

Mallard Duck

Water Vole

Vole Out Of The Hole

Ahhh the peaceful calm after the storm, not to much debris around either, although work did ask me to take some pictures of the giant logo signage on the side of the building. Letters missing, what ever next. Something mentioned about proof for the Insurance company. Not like its a Ferrari or ought.

So off to Rooksbury Mill LNR today, a gorgeous sunshine filled morning soon subsiding by 1pm as the clouds started to appear. However no breeze what so ever, a bonus after yesterdays gale force gusts.

First sighting a Great Tit, perching long enough for me to fire off a few shots.

Great Tit

Brooks lake seemed a little more crowded than usual with Gadwall, Tufted Duck, Mute Swan & Mallard all present.

A quick stop at the Kingfisher pool, did indeed bring a brief glimpse of a Kingfisher, a Little Egret rose from the furthest pool, landing in the tree and proceeding to prune itself.

Little Egret

The Mill lake had Mallard, Tufted Duck, Mute Swan, Little Grebe, Black Headed Gull, Grey Heron & a new species for me at he location a drake Wigeon.

Other birds logged todays were : Robin, Wren, Blue Tit, Blackbird, Long Tailed Tit, Song Thrush, Chaffinch, Treecreeper, Kestrel, Wood Pigeon & Greenfinch.

With the time ticking on, I decided on a walk back the way I came, hoping for another glimpse of the Kingfisher rather than a trudge right around the perimeter of the reserve. Im glad I did, rewarded with some rather awesome views of a Water Vole. Who I would have hoped to have enjoyed a lot longer. If not for a rather friendly elderly gentlemen giving me a lecture on where to see them along with Water Rails & Kingfishers. I think he was oblivious to the fact I'd just pointed it out to him on the stream edge and that I knew what it was. He also made me late back to work!

Water Vole

Praying It Wasn't A Rat

12pm Hurricane gone, sun out, smashing! 1pm, drizzle and a stiff breeze. Oh the joys of british weather. Either that or I should start taking my lunch break an hour earlier. Not a bad thing though in some respects, as I only passed 2 Joggers in the entire hour, definitely a first for the Chav/Dog Walker friendly Anton Lakes.

Still no luck on the Bullfinch front, just the male present today, same tree as last time, a slightly better photo at identifying it, but nothing to write home about.

A few Collared Dove hanging around the paths edge in the trees with remaining berries. And the customary Blue Tits & Great Tits flitting about from side to side, but definitely not in the same kind of numbers as earlier in the week, possible I guess that the extreme winds of the last 2 days have disturbed them some what.

The lakes where unexpectedly quiet also, no Little Grebes or Gadwall today. Even the Swans weren't really keen on the water, both Adults and the 3 Cygnets where next to the path feeding sifting through the reeds and grass.

Mute Swan

If Tuesdays visit brought the sounds of Robins, today brought the sound of the Kingfisher, several high pitched calls before I located the bird landing on the same branch as I had Photographed last week. Again I crept into a fairly decent position opposite the branch, but distracted myself to turn around as I heard a hissing Swan, just to make sure I wasn't in for some broken arm treatment, turning back slowly, now confident of my safety to find the Kingfisher had flown another 20 ft upstream, partially hidden by the wispy branches. Photo opportunity gone! Not disturbed by me I decided to stick it out, plenty of time left to get back to the car. I waited around 20 minutes the Bird frequently flying (and calling) up and down stream past my position 2 or 3 times, just never stopping in a clear enough spot.

Distant Kingfisher

I guess the events that happened next could be classed as pretty special, Kingfisher perched in the tree, Water Vole emerging directly underneath said tree. I must admit I got pretty excited, having never seen a Water Vole other than on TV, I started snapping away, praying it wasn't actually a Rat. Great to see one on that particular stream. I did try to get the Kingfisher in the shot as well but a blue blur through the trees isn't really clear enough.

Water Vole

The rest of the walk around the Lakes proved pretty uneventful, Chaffinch, Dunnock, Robin, Goldfinch, Blackbird, Wren, Buzzard & Magpie the only other sightings.

Robin 

Dunnock