One hot Friday

Last week was unseasonably warm and sunny for April so on Friday lunchtime I took a roundabout walk into Chelmsford via my usual Manor Farm route, thinking that if my bad ankle (still a little weak after a recent sprain) held up I might venture out to Little Baddow instead of the town. I decided not to push it and took the shorter walk but that was a good decision, both from a wildlife perspective and also because I'd forgotten my hat and the sunburn I picked up would have been rather worse had I lengthened the walk!

It was very quiet as I walked the track around Manor Farm, very few Swans out on the west field and only one or two brief snatches of Skylark song heard, but the Great Crested Grebe was looking particularly fine and eight Greylag Geese had joined the small number of Tufted Ducks on the water. The wind was blustery and the sky rather cloudy as I walked towards the smaller reservoir but I could see a Whitethroat up on the wires ahead and took a few photographs as it sung there, before dropping into the cover of the reeds in the nearby ditch. As I approached I could hear it singing still and seaching with my binoculars I could see it moving around in the undergrowth, moving off to the north along the ditch. As I followed it the bird flew off to a bush further along, then off into the cover of the crops in the next field. I could see a male Reed Bunting perched in the bush so I slowly approached, moving carefully to try to avoid spooking him, pausing to take a few shots as I got nearer. Then the bunting flew off into the stems in the bordering field, so I retraced my steps and walked on.

The usual Chiffchaffs, Wrens, Great Tits, Blue Tits and Chaffinches were to be seen and heard around the smaller reservoir, Orange Tip butterflies fluttering around. At the path to the river I watched a pair of Robins, one resting on a post with a caterpillar in it's beak before flitting away into the willows. On the north side of the river I followed a rough beaten track through the nettles and discovered a World War 2 pillbox I'd not known was here, one of many such fortifications in the area but now seemingly a place frequented by the local youngsters. I picked my way back to the main path and then up to Sandford lock, sitting here for a minute in the sunshine then walking west along the river.

Whitethroats were singing from the trees and bushes as I ambled along the towpath and I heard one calling, a very strange sound that I didn't recognise and spent some time trying to spot the bird hidden in some dense vegetation, but fortunately it put me out of my misery by flying up to a clear perch. One Whitethroat singing from a bush flew up into a willow as I passed, hopping around and singing in the branches. I took some distant and rather obscured photographs before it flew off into some low brambles, leaving me resigned to those being the best shots I'd get... but then it flew into another willow and posed boldly on a hanging branch not ten metres from where I stood, so I quickly fired off a number of shots, some of which (though the bird was small in the frame with my 300mm lens) came out rather well - hurrah!

I stopped by the horse paddocks at Barnes Mill to watch the horses grazing there and then walked on past the mill and over the inlet channel to the Baddow Meads, a large floodplain used for grazing. A large herd of horses had been turned out onto the Meads and were charging about, rushing towards me as I left the style behind - which alarmed me somewhat! They had a foal amongst them so I was concerned they may be rather protective and see me as a threat, and indeed the large males did stand between me and the others so I backed off towards the style again and they drifted off towards the edge of the meadow and began to feed. I waited a moment and as they seemed to have lost interest in me I walked on across the Meads, casting a glance back every now and then. I'm sure I was fine with them, I just get a little nervous around large animals in situations like that. It was worth pressing on though as when I neared the river I saw a Common Tern flying along above the river, every so often banking over hard and diving into the river with a loud 'plop!' before climbing back up to continue on it's way downstream. I've seen these birds a number of times on the river in town and at Central Park but not for a while, so was really very pleased to see this one.

That was the last of the entertainment for the walk, I crossed under the road bridge that leads from the Army and Navy roundabout to Chelmer Village and on into town for some shopping and a bus ride home.

A posing Whitethroat

Catching up - part 2

I've left it a little long to write this post so some details are perhaps a little hazy but hopefully I'll have remembered the important parts of the day.

After talking about the wildlife I'd been seeing with some of the people on Flickr, where I post photographs and talk to other local people I'd arranged to meet up on Sunday the 19th with a couple of others and to take them on a wildlife walk up to Manor Farm and Sandford mill. We met at the Vineyards around 8.30am, a rather unpromising grey and blustery morning but headed off towards Maldon Road and the start of the footpath at the roundabout of Baddow Hall Avenue.

As we followed the footpath beside the sliproad of the A1114 the morning traffic drowned out much of the natural sounds but we did find a Dunnock in a hawthorn here, singing bravely over the roar of the cars. Ahead where the path veered right a white flash as a rabbit ran for the safety of it's warren, another motionless beneath a bush, watching with wrinkled nose. We slowly trod the track beside the pines, looking out for signs of life. A lone Robin could be heard in the depths of the spinney but little else bar the flies moved. At a junction of tracks we looked out into the left field, a place where I'd seen Grey Partridges before, but found just a few Mute Swans sitting far out in the distance. We climbed the earth bank surrounding an old reservoir, dried out but a patch of reeds at the far end suggested a little water remains - possibly a spot worth watching.

Taking the track eastwards we could see Skylarks in the air and a few Swallows high up, plus some Tufted Ducks, Coots and Great Crested Grebes on the fishing reservoir to the left. On up the track and turning off down beside the reservoir we could hear Great Tits and Chiffchaffs calling, while a Robin and a Willow Warbler sang from the Alders. A pair of Wrens sang in the thicket and a speckled wood butterfly fluttered in the nettles.

Passing behind the cottages we saw a wren in a bordering tree holding it's left leg up, possibly having injured it the poor bird could not put weight onto the limb. I know though that many birds with similar injuries manage to carry on well, not quite as bad as might be thought at first sight. More butterflies here, Peacocks and Orange Tips, and a male Chaffinch high in the wires. We came out onto Sandford Mill Road and turned north to the river crossing, Bev seeing what may have been Little Grebes down on the river and Chris watching a Goldcrest up ahead. Another Chiffchaff in the trees here and at the small clearing to the right we startled a rabbit and a Sparrowhawk - I'd only just said to Bev and Chris that rabbits and a Sparrowhawk were sometimes here so I was pretty pleased!

More Chaffinches on the wires (perhaps they should be called Wirefinches) as we turned left at the fork and crossed over Bundock's Bridge, then right along the towpath towards Sandford Lock, spotting a Mistle Thrush in the field to the left. At the lock we turned south along the road back to the river crossing, retracing our steps through Manor Farm to the reservoir where we chatted to a man walking his dog. We mentioned our (well, my!) reluctance to go to the larger reservoir due to the no tresspassing signs, but he said that was intended towards fishermen, not walkers and that it was fine to go to the water's edge. We hastened along the farm track to the crossways and turned right along the track to where it came closest to the reservoir, where no ploughing was done or crops planted. There we found an excavated hollow lined with wood chippings, a little fishing spot, that was unoccupied so we went down to look closer at the birds. A single Great Crested Grebe was out fishing on the water and a number of Tufted Ducks and some Mallards were on the bank just opposite where we stood. As we looked out a bird flashed across in front of us and I tried to track it with my binoculars. Against the sun it was hard to see but the shape and flight was unmistakeable - a Kingfisher!

We walked back along the track towards the crossroad but paused when we spotted some Peacock butterflies in a ditch, then realising the field in front of us was full of Skylarks. The sound of song carried across to us and a number could be seen hovering in the field, scuffling in the air as they drifted too close to each other's territories. We spent quite some time watching them and trying to photograph them (rather difficult at such a distance!) before walking on, finding it very difficult to drag ourselves away! At the crossroads Chris stopped and scanned the horizon, then pointed at a bramble on top of the earth bank. There a Whitethroat was singing, a song I'd also heard but not heard, ignored as I thought of Skylarks. It was a way off but wonderful to see, the first I'd seen in Essex! With that we strode on back to Great Baddow and the end of the walk, a very pleasant morning indeed.

Skylarks fighting over territory

Catching up - part 1

Have been for a few walks over the last week or so but kept putting off writing this so a bit of a memory exercise!

On Saturday the 18th I took a late stroll out to the bridle-way that leads from the end of Vicarage Lane in Great Baddow out to Brook Lane. This is a lovely old track that leads into the more rural outskirts of Great Baddow and Galleyend, lined with trees and bounded by fields and open meadows. A good place for a quiet walk, this area also features a fair amount of wildlife.

The sun was low in the sky when I approached the bridle-way, a Robin singing in the bushes beside the Lawn Cemetery and Great Tits calling 'tea-cher, tea-cher' in the trees above. The spring growth was beginning to move on apace, fresh green leaves glowed in the afternoon sun and shafts of golden light were angling across the path as I crunched along, listening out for birds as I went. I paused here and there to look through my binoculars at the blue and great tits, a couple passing with their dog followed then by a horse and rider. Skylarks were singing in the distance, off to the right in the field of yellow Oilseed Rape, a sound to unwind the stresses of the week and raise a smile on the lips.

I paused at the pond halfway along the track, a single moorhen skulking at the weedy edges while both Mistle and Song Thrushes sang from somewhere in deep cover. A short scan of the horse meadow and then on towards Brook Lane, past a gathering of Woodpigeons and Magpies in a meadow to the left. At the road I turned right, towards the old pump at the junction with Watchouse Road. Just a hundred yards or so to the north I left the road at Barn Mead, crossing the ditch over a wooden bridge and onto the footpath crossing the field back to the start of the bridleway. At this southern end the path follows the edge of the field beside some tall old trees and hawthorns, a good spot for birdwatching as I've seen Goldcrests, Treecreepers and many others here in the past. Slowly and quietly I followed the path, keeping a close ear and eye on the trees but very aware that with the sun behind me I was very obvious. I was fortunate though as a Great Spotted Woodpecker flew in and landed in a large oak near where I stood and moved around pecking at the bark for some time. Further on I caught a glimpse of a small grey bird, too brief to be positive but almost certainly a Blackcap.

I struck out here across the field of Oilseed Rape, following the clear path made by the farmer, most welcome to find. All around me was the sound of Skylark song, the birds either out of sight of my myopic vision or hiding amongst the stems. Indeed, I did see one scurry along the path and disappear in the crop again, just a quick view but good for all that. With that I reached the bridleway again and turned north towards home, passing the Robin still singing in the bushes and, as I walked through Great Baddow, noticing a Sundog either side of the setting sun - a good finale to the walk and something that probably very few people would notice and so for me all the more special.

The bridle-way in the evening light

Good Friday

A very appropriate name for the day and a rather enjoyable walk. The day started warm with patchy sunshine and so I took my usual Manor Farm/River Chelmer walk into Chelmsford. At the new reservoir I could see a number of Tufted Ducks, some Canada Geese, Coots, Mallards, two Greylag Geese (first time I've seen those here) and a pair of Great Crested Grebes - which I haven't seen for a long time so they were most welcome!

Walking on along the track to the smaller old reservoir next to the farm buildings I could hear Skylarks overhead and as I followed the path around the edge of the reservoir I saw a Cormorant circling low overhead, losing it behind the trees as it headed westwards. Pausing where the path turns away from the water's edge I saw a Kingfisher dart across and as I stood hoping for another glimpse a call behind took my attention and I turned to find a Willow Warbler in a bush nearby, the first I've seen this year.

On along the path, a Pheasant calling off to the north and the trees full of Wrens, Great Tits and Blue Tits, I came to the cottages at the end of Sandford Mill Road. Exploring here a little I could hear Chiffchaffs and Chaffinches in the willows but could spot neither (my hearing and observation skills being pretty poor I often struggle to spot small birds in trees or pin down where their calls are coming from). On across the river I could hear another Chiffchaff but this time, yes!, I managed to spot the little thing high in a willow, fluttering about and pecking at the small twigs. Just past here I paused at a little clearing where sometimes rabbits can be seen. No rabbits today but high above a Sparrowhawk circled and disappeared with a lazy flap of it's wings.

Turning left past Sandford Mill I flushed a Blackbird from a tree where it was taking berries from the ivy, also scaring to the air a Mistle Thrush that flew to the river and perched in a willow there, always a good bird to see. Over the bridge and on along the river's edge with the sun's warmth gaining strength, Dunnocks singing from the trees, Moorhens on the water and a Pheasant calling from the trees in the distance. On along the towpath, butterflies and insects buzzing around me, a Magpie keeping station on the path ahead and the calls of Green Woodpeckers heard now and again.

As I passed a couple with their dog I spotted a Jay flying east, then from across the river some small birds flew past me and into a bramble patch, then a glimpse and, yes - Reed Buntings! Three males, just in view for a few seconds but unmistakable, lovely little birds and great to see here. A little further on a Skylark in the distance, snatches of song heard on the breeze and then nearby a Green Woodpecker yaffling. Watching the grass of the horse paddocks I spotted him, a low flapping flight across the grass and then down onto a fence, quickly hopping to cling to a vertical post - the preferred perch for these lovely green and red birds. A pause, a look around followed by a circling of the post and a climb to the top. Then another low flight away out of sight.

At Barnes Mill I sat at the lock for a moment then I walked on along the river, a Great Spotted Woodpecker tapping at a tree behind the mill. From there an uneventful stroll across the Baddow Meads into Chelmsford and back to the busy modern world.

A good walk - I feel much better for it!

Bundock's Bridge

...and Spring in their wake.

The Chiffchaffs have returned. 

For the last couple of weeks I've been hearing their 'chiff, chaff, chiff, chaff' calls everywhere, as though someone flicked a switch and turned on the Spring. Wonderful to see them again, seeming to bring the warm weather with them. I went for a short walk one lunchtime during the week and found myself beside a culverted stream by a footpath between some houses and a small industrial area. Great Tits were calling from the trees and some Robins watched me from a fence whilst a Chiffchaff sang merrily as it hung from the branches and pecked at the new buds. As I watched, it came closer and closer until it stood in a bush just ten feet from where I stood, calling and chiffing as I got the best view I'd ever had of one of these superb little birds. Such a lovely thing; a little brown job that some might disregard as being uninteresting, yet some of these little scraps of feather may have flown here from as far away as Senegal in Western Africa. That's a long way to fly for such a tiny bird, a long way to travel for anyone without an airline ticket. Perhaps these little travellers deserve to be given more attention, rather than being ignored as just another LBJ. 

A Chiffchaff by the river, photographed in September 2008.