my local patch and wildlife - Ian McDonald

[ian mcdonald]

Robert, there are Ads. on TV promoting California as THE place to visit. They show young sun-tanned people engaged in all sorts of water sports. The only thing missing was the Beach-boys soundtrack. Our dipper is Cinclus cinclus. Mallard and raven are the same.

[ian mcdonald]

It was a dull, cool and windy day today. When I got to the site I didn,t expect to see much due to the wind. Quite a few teal were crouching down on one of the pools as I went past. I travelled to the other end of the track I was on last week. Walking along the track I heard a disturbance in the water filled drain to the right. It was fairly poor visibility due to overhanging trees. I saw what looked like a moorhen at the far side of the drain. It was by then, quite still. I threw a pebble into the water to see if this encouraged whatever it was to move. It did not. I threw in another pebble a bit nearer. Still no reaction. I then threw in a stone a bit nearer. This time it dived under the water and disappeared. It was a moorhen and must have thought I hadn,t seen it. I was walking past a large wet woodland and could hear several red deer roaring. Not in the same place as last week. I could not see them and carried on, sheltered from the wind by the wood. The plants have mostly shut down for the winter now, although some are still in flower. I walked to the part of the track which is now flooded and returned the way I had come. The red deer activity seemed to have increased and I could see some along a grassy track in the wood. I decided to get a bit closer and as I did so, several Roe deer crossed the path in front of me. They did not see me as I was wearing a dark coat and walking slowly. By this time the red deer along the path saw me but seemed more curious as to what I was. I noticed that there was a small stag with about five females. He was not one of the roaring stags, they were well into the wood. I took several pictures and left as they decided to go deeper into the wood. I have been told that the mature red deer stags here are larger than the ones in Scotland, due to the food supply being better. I noticed that the red deer coats were turning from the summer reddish colour and into their winter grey coats. Despite the weather it was a good wildlife spotting day. Img. 00380 is the moorhen "hiding." Img. 00381 is a well used deer path into the wood. Img. 00384 shows wild carrot in seed. The seed have hooked bristles to aid their distribution. Img. 00390 is mouse-ear-hawkweed.

[ian mcdonald]

Image 00391 shows signs of a fox having used the track not too long ago. Img. 00393 is Bristly oxtongue, Picris echioides, an uncommon plant in this area. Blue fleabane, Erigeron acer, still has some flowers Img. 00394. A large area of Rush, Juncus conglomeratus mostly, Img. 00395.

[ian mcdonald]

There used to be a narrow gauge railway across the site for the removal of peat, it was three feet wide. Img. 00396 shows one of the "fish-plates" used for fastening the rails together. A roe deer walking across the path in the wood Img. 00406, red deer in the background. A small red deer stag and five hinds were browsing the path, img.00408.

[ian mcdonald]

A gall on willow, I think this one is Eupontania pedunculi, img. 00410. Yellow-wort, Blackstonia perfoliata still in flower. The stems seem to grow through the leaves and the flowers usually open fully when it is sunny, img.00413. A minute plant is Thyme- leaved- sandwort, Arenaria serpyllifolia, img.1020592. It is a plant of bare ground, usually on sand or lime.
Birds today were, teal, kestrel, lapwing, crow, pink foot and grey lag geese, pheasants, wren, robin, wood pigeon, moorhen, pied wagtails, marsh harrier, black headed gulls, linnet, great tit, starlings and jay.

[Robert]

Robert, there are Ads. on TV promoting California as THE place to visit. They show young sun-tanned people engaged in all sorts of water sports. The only thing missing was the Beach-boys soundtrack. Our dipper is Cinclus cinclus. Mallard and raven are the same.

Ian,

Nature is preparing for winter here in California. Yesterday, it snowed in the Sierra Nevada and most nights are frosty. Here at the lower elevations day length and dry condition are the major factors for dormancy. The weather is still warm for the most part. We did get a trace of rain at the farm yesterday, but conditions are still extremely dry - very normal for this time of year.

As I can I will get photographs of our birds. They are quite active now, both at the higher elevations as well as down here in the foothills and the Sacramento Valley.

Huh! Somebody is doing a great con-job concerning southern California. I guess one could surf in the winter - if there is any air to breath, or unless one likes to breath smog.    The young sun tanned people IS out of a 1950's Disney movie. Those days are long gone, if they ever existed in the first place. On the serious side....  there are many unique habitats in Southern California. Many that are endangered and need to be saved - quick! I would need another lifetime to explore the mountains and deserts of southern California.

Thank you again for another fine report. There is always something to see, regardless of the weather or season.

I take it that Mouse-ear Hawkweed is a Hieracium? Native? We have three native species in El Dorado County, California.

[ian mcdonald]

Robert, the mouse-ear-hawkweed used to be Hieraceum pilosella but it is now changed to Pilosella officinarum (unless it has been changed again. It would be a good rock garden plant but is likely to be invasive. Maybe a holiday to other parts would be worthwhile?

[ian mcdonald]

Another dull, cool, windy day. The first bird seen was a kestrel which landed on a track and seemed to be picking up pieces of grit. After talking for a while with a bird recorder I set off to see if there were any red deer calling in other parts of the area. I noted that there seems to be less fungi on the tracks this year. I saw two roe deer along a track by a wood, a female and a juvenile. Possibly the same two I have seen here before. They saw me from a good distance and disappeared into the wood. Red deer were heard calling from the interior of the wood but not seen. I don,k think it would be a good idea to go looking for them as they can cover the ground quickly. Retracing my route I walked along another track to the North of the wood. Another red deer was heard calling from a different area, in more open scrubby ground. As I walked further a noise from the other side of the path, behind tall bracken, made me stop. A red deer hind ran from the bracken and away from me. The red deer stag continued calling and seemed quite close. I then noticed what looked like a bunch of branches moving, probably less than 100 yards away, in scrub. The"branches" stopped moving and turned to face me. They belonged to a stag and he had a hind with him. He stared at me for quite a time (it seemed like it) then took some steps towards me. I could see that his antlers were taller than me and wondered what he was going to do. He started calling again and continued looking at me. I took several pictures, after asking for permission, then continued on my way. I could hear him roaring long after I had left. Other red deer were heard roaring from different parts of the site. Good views were had of male and female marsh harriers. Many teal were sheltering from the wind along the lee of ponds along with mallard and several gadwall. As I was leaving I noticed a number of lesser black backed gulls on open water along with a couple of greater black backs. Flocks of pink- footed geese were coming in to roost on nearby fields. Other birds noted were pheasant, lapwing, wigeon, wood pigeon, robin, great tit, stonechat, goldfinch, chaffinch, bullfinch, crow, jay and grey lag goose.

[ian mcdonald]

img. 00424 kestrel

img 1020953

fungi on track

img 1020954 branches?

[ian mcdonald]

roaring stag [ Specified attachment is not available ] img 00954

img 00428
stag comes for a closer look.

[Tim Ingram]

What an amazing encounter Ian. Nothing quite like that on our local patch here, but recently several people have showed pictures of Ospreys on the Isle of Sheppey, and birds of prey in general (Buzzards, Red Kites are examples) have become much more common in the sky which must say something about our 'ecology' in this heavily built up and developed north of Kent.

[Chris Johnson]

The fungus is Honey fungus (Armillaria), Ian. There will be buried wood or roots nearby.

[ian mcdonald]

Thanks Chris, I didn,t expect to see honey fungus on the site. I had it in the garden, it even grew on the shed. It also killed several shrubs including birch, plum and rowan.

[ian mcdonald]

A plant which was introduced in the 19th. century is still on site. Kalmia angustifolia.

[ian mcdonald]

The wind had stopped blowing today, which started out with blue skies. It soon changed to grey but mild. The first birds seen were several meadow pipits along a track. I glanced over to a pool and saw two cranes stood not too far away. Usually they are a good way off. I expected to hear deer roaring again but all was quiet, apart from the odd aircraft. Teal were out on the ponds again and fairly close, the brightness of the morning catching their green flanks. I went to look at an area I don,t visit very often and flushed two red deer stags. Many pink footed geese were flying in and looking for suitable sites to land. Small birds were flitting about in willow bushes, among them were long tailed tits and a goldcrest. Several stonechats were seen along another path. By the time I had returned to the start it was almost tea-time and a lone red deer was heard roaring in the distance. Birds seen were meadow pipit, cranes, teal, jay, reed buntings, mallard, pink footed geese, grey lag geese, long tailed tits, great tit, wrens, robins, stonechats, crows, blackbird, blue tit, goldcrest, marsh harrier, pied wagtail, lapwings and wood pigeon.


cranes.

Puffballs?

Another gall

Teal