Update, and stuff

Blogger is being a real pain in the bum this morning. Pictures taking forever to upload, and the words aint going where they should. Bugger!

Right, moan over...................

Morning. A quick update on the hospital visit, then a new post.

Had the angiogram on Wednesday, and the findings were, one of the arteries with a stent is still getting a bit blocked. The cause of the chest pains. So, in about 4 weeks, another trip to Oxford, for a Myocardial Perfusion Scan. A radioactive injection to see how the blood flows, apparently. (I’ll probably be able to turn on lights when I walk past them after that.)

And after that? Who knows. Depends what the experts decide.
For the time being, I have to rest again, and take it easy. No walking, driving……yea, yea, ok.

Weekend is here soon…….
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A new day begins,
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and the early bird catches the worm.
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The Snipe wanders the waters edge looking for his food,
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along with a Redshank.

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Black-tailed Godwits find theirs further out,

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and the Little Egret feels safer away from the edge too
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while Reynard watches from the reeds.

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The sun rises higher in the sky, its warmth gaining strength.

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A Song Thrush enjoys the moment.

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A Garden Warbler, (cheers for the ID Frank), peers from the trees,

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and a Grasshopper Warbler ‘reels’ from the safety of the bushes. (very much a record shot.)
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I’ve had some great days out this last month, and still got some pictures to share from it. One last bird, before the end,

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A Whitethroat in early morning sunlight a few days ago.
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And I’ll leave with a sign. I couldn’t resist taking a picture of. This is in the car park of an area looked after by the National Trust.

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Are some people really that thick, that they have to be told this?
Or is it just a sign of the times, where the ‘Trust’ have to cover their arse against a stupid claim?
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Enjoy your day; and don’t sit under trees!

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A few from April

Off to the hospital soon for an angiogram, so I’ll catch up with everyone a bit later. In the meantime, a few from this month that I’m slowly getting round to sorting out.


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Taken the first day of the month; a pair of male Mallards. One seemed very aggressive, and hell bent on drowning the other poor duck. He survived.

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Some hearty singers, in full voice. From the top, Robin, Nightingale, and Song Thrush.
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A Mallard who thinks he’s a finch. He spent a long time eating the seed meant for the smaller birds. He did leave some though.
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Chaffinch, waiting for the Mallard to finish.
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Met up with my old friend, the Black Swan a few days ago. Hadn’t seen him around since the end of last year. Glad he’s ok.
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Little Egret flying in.
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He fly’s in, I fly off. Catch up with everyone later.
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Ringed and Little Ringed Plover

Ringed Plover
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Latin name: Charadrius hiaticula

Length 18cm

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Ringed Plovers can be told from Little Ringed Plovers by their larger size, pot-bellied appearance, bolder mannerisms and the lack of a yellow eye ring. It is brownish grey above and whitish below. Additionally, the adults have a thick black and yellow bill and brighter orange legs.
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Little Ringed Plover on left, Ringed Plover on right.

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Ringed Plovers also show an obvious pale wing bar in flight, unlike Little Ringed Plovers.

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Not the best of shots, but it does show the wing bar.

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Their Diet consists of, beetles, flies, small molluscs, snails and small crustacea.

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The nest is a Scrape, usually in the open and never far from water; excavated by the male, lined with tiny pebbles, debris and pieces of vegetation.

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Four eggs are laid May to July, and incubation takes 23-26 days. The young fledge after 25 days.

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Adult Ringed Plover

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Little Ringed Plover
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Latin name: Charadrius dubius
Length 15cm

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Little Ringed Plovers look superficially similar to Ringed Plovers but they are smaller and have a distinctively furtive horizontal stance and longer rear-end.

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For confirmation, the adults have all-dark bills, duller, yellower legs and a diagnostic yellow eye ring.
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They first bred in the UK in 1938 and since then have successfully colonised a large part of England and Wales thanks to man-made habitats such as gravel pits.
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Their Diet consists of insects, spiders and other invertebrates, just below the surface of wet ground.
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The Male excavates several scrapes, and one is selected by the female. The nest is usually unlined on bare ground or among low vegetation, rarely far from water and often on small islands in rivers or lakes.
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Four eggs, buffish with brown spots and streaks, are laid between March and June. Incubation takes 24-26 days and the young fledge after 21-24 days.
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Adult Little Ringed Plover

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Birthday song

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A very quick post today. I went over one of the local lakes this morning, bright and early. A shame the weather wasn’t so bright; but the birds more than made up for it.
All the usual suspects, including this Sedge Warbler, who sang beautifully for my birthday.
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And as I walked further round the lake, a great present, in the form of House Martins.

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Making a start at setting up their new home, after their epic journey.

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I’m off now for a shorter journey, so I’ll catch up with peoples blogs later. Got a BBQ to go to.

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That’s if it stops raining.
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The stars.

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Some days start so good, and then the stars come out, and make it even better.

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A handsome male Chaffinch poses,

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as a Blue Tit vies for attention.

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Black-tailed Godwits turn up in all their (distant) finery,
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and a Willow Warbler sings from his highest perch.

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The Chiffchaff stops to look, to see who else has dropped in……..
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A Turtle Dove stops by, after his long journey, and another star takes centre stage…….

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A Nightingale sings for all his worth.

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I hope your weekend is filled with stars.
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Lapwing

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Family, Plovers and Lapwings (Charadriidae), Latin name, Vanellus vanellus
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The Lapwing is about pigeon-sized, 30cm, and is also known as the Peewit or Green Plover. The collective noun for a group is a Deceit.
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From a distance the Lapwing looks black and white, but up close, they can be seen in all their glory. The upper parts are a beautiful iridescent dark green and purple, the breast and cheeks are white, under-tail coverts orange-brown, and they have pink legs. The throat is black in the summer and white in winter.
Males and females are similar, except the male's crest is longer and they have blacker breasts and whiter faces.
A stunning looking bird.
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In flight, the floppy, rounded black and white wings make them unmistakable. They have a slow wing beat that doesn't appear enough to keep them aloft. In the spring, they perform amazing aerobatic displays, zigzagging flight, rolls and dives whilst uttering their characteristic and familiar 'pee-wit' call.
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They feed on invertebrates, such as earthworms, beetles, flies and caterpillars that are on or close to the surface.
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They’ll even feed at night, especially when there’s a bright moon.
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The nest is a shallow scrape on open ground, one of several, excavated by the male. The female then selects one; which is then enlarged and lined by both birds.
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A handsome bird indeed.
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Stop and Stare

A few random ones from this month, doing what the title says.
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Goldfinch, caught mid-feed.
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Mistle Thrush watching me, watch him.

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Blackbird catching a hearty breakfast.

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Blue Tit gathering nesting material. (I’d just brushed my dog)

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Spring lamb, wondering who this strange man is.
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Little Ring Plover; stopping and staring.

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And my last one, a particular favourite moment. I was walking down a footpath beside a field, checking my camera, and as I looked up, bounding down the path towards me, was this chap.

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A Stoat. I stopped, fired off a few shots, then he realised something was on the path ahead of him.
We both froze for a second, before he disappeared into the long grass.
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Magic
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