Gone Fishin'.

28th March.

Gone fishin'. . .see him snoozin' by a brook
Gone fishin'. . .didn't even bait his hook
There's his hound dog by his side fleas are bitin' at his hide
He won't scratch 'em he's to tired he ain't got no ambition
Gone fishin'. . .learnin' fishin' worms to swim
I'm wishin. . .he wuz me and I wuz him
Wish I had a plane to fly here's what I'd write in the sky
Gone' fishin'. . .instead of jest awishin'

Just think Bing Crosby.

Sitting By the Lake

26th Mar. I sat by the lake and closed my eyes and thought it was mid summer today! Once my eyes opened again I studied the Great Crested Grebes behaviour taking careful mental notes. I managed some photos too. Both pairs of Great Crested Grebe remain.

I didn't ignore the other birds, and in particular it was difficult not to note the antics of the Coots. One of them preening at length before another left the nest to join it for a bit of mating. The light made the reflections and patterns on the water interesting today too. It was definitely a time to just sit/stand and watch. Chiffchaffs sang in the distance. Peacock Butterflies flew near, and rested upon, rocks at the edge of the lake.

I was joined by another grebe watcher later and we had an interesting chat as we enjoyed the sun. It was fellow patch worker and grebe watcher Sam.













Washed it yesterday and can't do a thing with it!

Cute Coot

Always love the effects on the water.

On Patch and Under the Hood

The productive pairing take a break.

This lonesome guy seems to have been joined by a mate now.

A cooperating model




Two of many. although I know that some would just say 'too many'!

Popular with the ladies!

6^th Mar. I met up with Sam (Under the Hood) at the lake primarily to take a look at how the Great Crested Grebes were progressing and possibly grab some photos. It’s nice to be sharing an interest in the patch with someone so keen. The sun made it look like summer, but there was still that winter chill in the air. We were the only people watching but I suspect that won’t last for long. In fact I know it won’t as I’m aware of photographers preparing to visit. I over heard a conversation the other day when someone expressed surprise that Great Crested Grebes were breeding on ‘a boating lake’. They obviously don’t know the lake well as this small area is no boating lake. I was a little surprised to pick up that someone interested in the Great Crested Grebes didn't know that they have been regular breeders on the lake and have been very productive in recent years. Watching this area is one of the benefits of being a patch birder. You find things that are surprising, but usually only if you keep a regular watch. Killingworth Lake, boating lake or not, has a decent history of attracting birds and you make a mistake if you fall into the trap of thinking it holds only swans and hybrids waiting to be fed bread! There were a few of these being fed bread today mind!

We found the pair of Great Crested Grebes on the smaller lake seemed to be having a break between shifts. There was little action as both birds floated around heads under wings. One eventually stretched its head. A little later both birds showed quite well, but swam away from us around the lake, at least one of them making an occasional dive. That was all of the action seen. In the meantime I did manage a rather nice shot of a Coot. Big and close is how I like them at the moment.

It wasn’t long before Sam and I realised that the lone Great Crested Grebe on the larger lake has now been joined by another. This is the exact same pattern as last year. Unlike the two birds on the small lake which are well into mating now, this pair was at separate ends of the large lake and seeming to have no contact as yet.

There are at least six Goosanders remaining on the lake and a number of Goldeneye still remain. As we watched Sam saw a calling Grey Wagtail fly past. I missed it. Being beside water, and Sam seeing the bird and me missing it is becoming a habit. I have yet to live down the Kingfisher I missed.:-) At least I heard the call this time! The two Oystercatchers were found amongst the Canada Geese.

We decided to take a walk on part of the patch. Passing the old Nuthatch nesting hole we found that there is still no sign of Nuthatches this year. A Sparrowhawk was chased off by a corvid and flew over the village area. We later took a look at last years Sparrowhawk nesting site. The area we walked through will soon be echoing to the sound of Chiffchaff song, but today it was mainly Robin, Dunnock and Wren calls and song. A Wood Pigeon was found sitting on a nest.

Thanks Sam.

What a Difference a Month Makes on Patch

I think the term some use is 'record shot'.

28^th Feb. Had it not been a leap year we would be entering March tomorrow. What a difference from some early days in the month when everything was frozen solid. Sunlight carpeted the lake today as I at last returned to patch. I kept an eye out for Nuthatches as I strolled down to the lake, but like last year there was no sign of them in their old territory. A flock of gulls on the playing field was made up of around thirty Common Gulls (many more of them on the lake) and a few Black Headed Gulls. Nearby there was a pair of Oystercatchers, their orange bills hidden by mud from their searching for food in the soft ground. For a time they pottered around the goal posts looking every bit as adept as a ‘Toon’ centre back defending a corner or free kick. They eventually took to flight and their call was heard in the distance. I decided against giving them names, as I felt it would get tiresome if I had to keep looking up how the name Fabricio Coluccini was spelt!

I’m pleased to say the pair of Great Crested Grebes are back on the smaller lake too and looking ready to set up nest. I recorded them on the 20^th February last year so I suspect they may have been here for a few days now. Another lone Great Crested Grebe was on the larger lake. This follows the pattern of last year when I recorded three of these birds present on 24^th February. I don’t think a fourth bird was hidden today. They certainly won’t be able to hide a nesting site on the bald floating reed-bed this year! Anyway I hope both pairs meet with successful breeding again this year. I said hello to someone photographing the birds.

I saw no Goosanders today. There were however eleven Goldeneye. These birds, especially the males, looked stunning in the sunlight. There were definitely four pairs of birds amongst the eleven. The usual flocks of birds were on or around the lake. I noticed the red and yellow of the Moorhens bills showed sharply in the light as did the head colouring of the Mallards. The family of Greylag remain.

As I walked home I caught sight of the Sparrowhawk circling high over the trees of the church ground and then slowly working along the village until at last out of sight. A Magpie was carrying a very large twig to the nest. It certainly felt more than ever, like spring today.

Great Crested Grebes of Doubtful Parentage!

20th August. Rather windy today and not a single butterfly seen except the odd Small White in the sanctuary of the garden.

There were numbers of Swallow and House Martin and the odd Sand Martin feeding over the lake today. A handful of Swifts flew higher in the sky and a lone Common Tern was actively feeding. It was the great Crested Grebes that took the eye again on the smaller lake. On my return home and after finishing my chicken pie and chips I reached for the copy of The Grebes/Bird Families of the World. I must try and read this again more thoroughly. It was interesting to check out how some of the bird’s behaviour I have been watching over the weeks is recorded in the book. Since the juvenile numbers have dropped to two I had noticed that one each of the adult birds takes one of the juvenile birds to feed. This is mentioned in the book along with the fact that the family will often make a complete separation. (It seems that the adult birds strongly favour one particular juvenile). This separation hasn’t occurred with the local birds as they were resting closely together as a family this afternoon.

What really had me looking in the book however was that the photographer who I have met at the lake before was insisting that the three juvenile birds that I had assumed had been lost had been ‘fostered/adopted’ by the second pair of Great Crested Grebes on the larger lake. I thought this a bit odd, but didn’t argue. Sure enough the other pair of Great Crested Grebes have three juvenile birds with them and whilst I had thought they had not nested I must admit I have neglected that end of the patch lately. On reflection I think these three juveniles look a good way behind the other two in development, but maybe I need to take another look. Anyway my book seems to suggest that any such fostering would be unlikely as ‘because of the intolerance to foreign (I assume foreign to mean of different species, but no further explanation is given with regard to same species) chicks brood amalgamation is not likely to take place in grebes’. It does mention however an example of a Red Necked Grebe raising the young of a Great Crested Grebe and suggests that juveniles lost during combat may be accepted by other adults. Has anyone witnessed such behaviour in grebes? I have read elsewhere that it is thought that the R N Grebes have had their nest parasitized by the G C Grebes. I’d also be interested to know if anyone has seen any sign of this second pair nesting on the larger lake.
Anyway, it is good to report that five juvenile Great Crested Grebes appear to be doing well on the lake. Bearing in mind the behaviour I have read about I will take note as to how the group of three juveniles progress.

Hot Days on Patch 2

Grey Heron

Great Crested Grebe

Speckled Wood

Bittersweet

Bittersweet

7th August. Another hot day and a walk to the lake, finding a Speckled Wood Butterfly in the church grounds, a first on patch and showing just how much this species appears to be extending range I reckon. Other butterflies seen today were Small White, Peacock, Meadow Brown and Small Skipper.

The small lake was quiet. The resident Grey Heron appeared to be undisturbed by my close proximity as it watched the water intently for sign of movement. It wasn’t long before I found numbers of Common Blue and Blue-tailed Damselflies.

The pair of Little Grebe was there, but I have seen no sign that they have nested. The pair of Great Crested Grebe swam with one juvenile bird a piece in toe. One of the youngsters seems still to be quite reliant upon the adult for feeding whilst the other seems to be content most of the time to seek its own food. Both remaining youngsters have come along very well. The occasional Swallow flew over the pond whilst the flock of Black Headed Gulls made for a pleasing sight whilst flying to feed amongst the rubbish which had found its way into the lake. I need to have a look on the larger lake which I’ve neglected of late.

I called at the site nearby where the school had been demolished and I found a favourite flower of mine, Bittersweet Solanum dulcamara, with this one appearing in various stages of growth. Whilst in places, in full flower and budding, part of the plant was also in fruit. The berries still green.
I returned via the church grounds and as I made for the open area opposite the estate I watched as a dragonfly flew around the area and between the trees, most of the time lower than 5`. I was unable to get a decent look at it before it flew off into the church woodland, but did catch sight of green on the abdomen. It’s colouring, size, flight and habitat confirms to me that it was a Southern Hawker. Another first on patch.