Easter Bluebells and more

Has the family over on the saturday so we managed a nice walk up at Heartwood Forest to see the bluebells which are showing very well at the moment also the Whitethroats are back in usual habbit which is a sign that spring migrant is in full swing.

Bluebells in the wood

Then on sunday headed to Stocker Lake had a nice walk round with plenty of warblers around with Blackcaps, Whitethroat and Sedge Warblers in full song and with the bonus of a beautiful Goldcrest showing well in in the wet wetland before the rain came.

Goldcrest

Singing Blackcap

Singing Sedge Warbler

Blows Down

A walk at the weekend with the RSPB group to Blows Down at Dunstable was a nice walk had by all on arriving we just missed a Wheatear which had been reported in the paddock but around it had some nice views of singing Blackcaps and Chiff-chaffs calling giving close views on the bus track. We then walked around one of the fields and through a scrubby area where we had nice finch views with the highlights of a Flyby Bullfinch and a super view of a Kestrel hunting over the hills.

We then walked though the middle of the hill area  where we had super views of the Skylark singing and a few of us where lucky enough to have views of a Lesser Whitethroat. We then ended the walk in the woodland where we had plenty more warblers with Chiff-chaff and Blackcaps singing away and a Willow Warbler singing its beautiful song.

Blackcap singing away

Lesser Whitethroat which briefly popped out

Farmoor Reservoir and Otmoor

On saturday decided to head out Oxford way forst stop was Farmoor Reservoir started the bottom circle walk and had a few Blackcaps and Chiff-chaffs singing and over the water had 4 Sand martins the first of the year. Further around out on the water quite a few Great Crested Grebes and a beautiful summer plumage Red-necked Grebe first view in the summer coat and showing pretty well fishing away and giving some nice views. Then around the Causeway quite a few Pied Wagtails and a Common Sandpiper showed well briefly.

Red-necked Grebe

Ducking well it is April :)

Common Sandpiper

Pied Wagtail

Then headed to Otmoor where the place was alive with warblers Blackcaps and Chiff-chaff in quite high numbers and with a few Willow Warblers and my first Sedge Warbler of the year. Finshed up along the Roman Road section when the sun decided to pop and had a few Butterflies with Orange-Tip and Peacock showing themselves.

Lynford

Had a nice day out at Lynford Arboretum started off well with a big flock of Crossbills feeding in the trees with a flock of siskins nearby with a few Redpoll in with them and a odd Bramling feeding with the flock.

Feeding Male Crossbill

Brambling high up in the tree

Then around the central area of the site kept hearing the sound of a Firecrest but took a while to actually locate it but worth the wait as had superb views of it feeding high up in the trees 

Super Firecrest

The day was ended waiting for the hawfinch after quite a long wait had a distance view of a few feeding at the back of a group of trees before I was lucky enough for a female to come down for a drink a good end to the day.

Taken in by the bittern

Last saturday had a great day in Suffolk first headed to Oulton Marsh to look for the Dusky Warbler which had been around for a week or so waited for a few hours but no luck with that but had lovely views of a nesting pair of Long-tailed Tits and managed to see a couple of Cetti's Warblers which are always a tough bird to see. Then headed to Ness point where there a beautiful Black Redstart feeding in one of the yards. Out at sea lots of Turnstones feeding out on the rocks but sadly no purple Sandpipers but a bonus flyby Kittiwake.

Then headed to Minismere at Island Mere i ended up staying for the rest of the day had meant to walk around the rest of the reserve but the birds were really productive with a very showy Bittern feeding on the sticklebacks with a Water Pipit and Snipe and Jack snipe nearby and overhead upto 3 Marsh harriers displays over the reed beds.

The showy Bittern

Cassiobury Park and Whippendell Woods

Last week had a nice walk round Cassiobury Park with my local RSPB group but before the start decided to walk around Whippendell Woods has a few sighting of a Hawfinch had been reported earlier in the week no joy but got best sighting of Great spotted Woodpecker and many singing Wrens and some reasonable images of the woods at dawn

The main walk in the woods started with a flyby jay before in the woods we had lots of Nuthatches calling and good number of Treecreeper feeding around and both species were seen collecting nesting material also around at the start where Goldcrest and a good number of Stock doves high up in the trees and Woodpeckers calling but not been seen along with a lone singing Blackcap

Further around we had to change the route due to the flooding of the path but we gained views of Redwing and Song Thrush before at the canal section we got Buzzard over the woods and a few waterbirds before a Grey Wagtail popped up giving some good views before along the stream heading back in the spring blossom we finished up with a feeding Male Bullfinch and Chiff-Chaff.

Whippendell Woods at dawn

Feeding Nuthatches

One of many Wrens

Mallard in the spring sunshine

Kingfisher Porn

Locally we had a kingfisher throughout winter though not posted much about this beauty recently but nice to know that she has paired up and hopefully ready to breed any time soon. A selection of my favourite images of this stunning bird below.

Female Kingfisher fishing

Waiting from the catkins