More Green shoots?

When I was checking my moth traps last night I heard the familiar "croaking" of frogs.

This morning there was the first clump of frog's spawn in the pond. As I move towards the pond the water surface briefly "boiled" before going still.

I waited for a while and slowly heads began to appear as they popped out of the water. I guess the date is around normal, but I hope that unlike last year we don't get a sudden severe cold snap that kills most of the spawn.

The other reminder that spring is on the way was the arrival of a pair of Mallards. Each year they arrive and make a lot of noise, normally turn the vegetation in the pond into a shambles and leave. Their visits are sometimes as a pair and at other times up to four males accompany a female in a demonstration of extremely bad behaviour. Today they didn't stay long and flew off quacking loudly. I expect they'll be back, probably with more suitors.

“The perils of duck hunting are great- especially for the duck”

After my self-imposed blog abstinence, when other things took priority I though that I'd pay a brief visit to blog-world today. I had to got to Sandwich on other matters and took the opportunity to spend some time in the beautiful sunshine this afternoon. Last night I gave a talk at Sandwich Bay Bird Observatory about my birding trip Venezuela last year. Fortunately I was able to use some of my son, Pete's excellent photographs that he'd taken while leading the group, which added to the less spectacular selection of my shots, I hope made a reasonable evening. Many of the pictures showed birds that we think of as colourful, which they are, but we really shouldn't forget some of the fantastic birds under our own noses.

I popped along to North Downs Farm and managed to peer over the fence at the small reservoir to get a reasonable, though distant view of a female Goosander sitting on the bank at the end. Too far for a picture though.

I realise that Teals have featured rather frequently of late, but sitting in the Restharrow Scrape Hide, watching their antics is thoroughly therapeutic. Now that they are getting frisky they are also quite amusing.

It's always good tho scratch if you've got an itch!

I was plweased to see a Pied Wagtail pop in, it was the only passerine I saw in the hour 30 minutes I sat there!

This is the typical pose of a drake Teal trying to show off his finery. He puts his head back an lifts his bill and then puffs out his chest and makes a few rather strange grunts.

At long last I've caught up with some Shovelers on the scrape. I know that they've been around a while, but in the main they've been strangely absent, leaving the area to the larger than usual number of Teal. These two still don't look to be fully moulted to their best outfits, but if the weather remains fine I'm sure it wont be long before we see then beginning to get onto their pairing rituals.

I did see five Mallard flying round the Village yesterday. I assume it was a Duke with five potential suitors on her tail.

Love a Duck

The persistent drizzle and poor light had me settle down to watch some football and cricket. However, Stoke and Liverpool never reached the standard of a local park game, and the cricket has become farcical when, even with the aid of microphones and replays, Daryl is still unable to get it right. So I went out into the great outdoors and kept dry in the hide at the Restharrow Scrape.

There wasn't anything too exciting, but this lone male Wigeon fed close to the hide, mostly with it head down sifting through the water.

When it did put it's head up it showed what a handsome duck the Wigeon is. Despite being alone, as far as I could see anyway, several times it let out the whistle, that when done by a large flock in unison is one of the evocative sounds in winter.

Near by a male Shoveler adopted a similar position, head down and only coming up for air occasionally.

The Shoveler's beak is really one of the great wonders of the avian world. With a complex filtration system built in it enables it to efficiently extract tiny planktonic items of food from the water.

A few Teal dabbled round the edges of the water, but remained a fair distance away.

The large party of mallards at the far end of the scrape were already getting fairly worked up, with lots of head bobbing going on. As yet I haven't seen any groups males chasing females in a determined attempt at mass assault, but it looks as if it wont be long.

A pair of Mute Swans were in leisurely occupation, gentle preening. I would appear that this pair has already persuaded last years young to push off. Often the young take some time before they get the message that there's no room for them in the territory one they are all grown up.

Seal with a Roman Nose

The cliffs near the monument are pretty high, somewhere in the region of 300 feet, so taking pictures of things on the sea just below has two draw backs. First is a long way off and second, I hate heights so much that holding the camera steady is a problem.

When I took a look over to day I could see some thing in the water with a couple of Herring Gulls in attendance, when I looks through binoculars it was obviously a seal with a large fish. By the time it resurfaced for it's picture the fish had gone.

I was pretty sure at first glance that it was a Grey Seal, Halichoerus grypus. The best way to distinguish Grey Seals from Common Seals is by the profile. The straight line from the top of the head to the nose in the Grey compared to a more dog like shape in the Common seal.

The new house on Granville Road that arrived in sections in August now looks pretty much complete. It certainly has a prominent position and must have great views over the channel.

In January I showed some of the areas in the South Foreland Valley, where the scrub had been cleared to allow the chalk grasland habitat to be developed. At the time I said that it would need considerable management to prevent it quickly reverting to scrub. It looks to me that it is in need of some urgent attention, it is isn't to quickly become an area of thistles and other invasive species.

There are six ducklings on the village pond. This one seemed to have ideas beyond his age, as he flapped his tiny wings. I hope that Mrs Duck manages to bring some or even all of them through to fledging this year, and that she doesn't bring them up to my garden and loose some of them, for me to round up and return to her, as she did last year.

Who's an Ugly Duckling?

This years ducklings at the pond, are so large that I'm not sure if this is the adult or one of the young. The ducklings all moult into a plumage resembling the female. It isn't until the spring that the Drakes get their smart feathers, soon the adult males will join them in their dull "eclipse" plumage, while they grow their new fight feathers.

We must have offended the village ducks. Most years they have brought their young to see us, while they are very small. It is always a worry, some times she has left one behind, and I've caught it and re-united it with the family at the pond. Last years brood were featured here and the 2006 group are below.

Above are the 2006 family.

She seems to have brought five to almost full size, which isn't too bad given the hazards that are around. Perhaps not bringing the all the way to our garden for several visits was a goo idea.

One duckling that seems to have gone off the scene is the Ugly Duckling at Martin Mill. It's all boarded up at the moment, but whether this is for refurbishment or of a more permanent nature, I don't know.