| Brambling - Christmas Eve 2010 |
We're making use of this cold weather to input past records into IPMR (the database system); so far Mike has got it over 76K and I still need to input some early records - now that I've resurrected my old notebooks.
Friday, December 24, 2010
Sixty plus
No, not my age! The number of Brambling now coming to the seed in the orchard. That's a little too far away for me to photograph with my Fuji compact, so I put some seed down beside the path about 30 feet (10m) from the kitchen window. Here they are (well, some of them)
We're making use of this cold weather to input past records into IPMR (the database system); so far Mike has got it over 76K and I still need to input some early records - now that I've resurrected my old notebooks.
We're making use of this cold weather to input past records into IPMR (the database system); so far Mike has got it over 76K and I still need to input some early records - now that I've resurrected my old notebooks.
Monday, December 20, 2010
Trunk packed
The "busy" A39 Trunk road at 2pm on Monday, Williton.
It had stopped snowing for a while. In the early hours of daylight, it came down thick and fast. By late morning, we had had 16cm; the light showers during the afternoon added another 1cm. The traffic was extremely light, partly because the schools had closed for the Christmas recess.
The birds, mostly four species of finch (Chaffinch, Brambling Goldfinch & Greenfinch) kept taking to the apple trees; they were being spooked by something, but it certainly wasn't passing vehicles. The large Pyracantha next door was laden with berries yesterday; by this afternoon, 4 Fieldfare and 4 Redwing, with a little help from one or two Blackbirds, had stripped it bare! I topped up the SFH feeders twice today - perhaps I should ask the government for a bigger pension!
Won't be going anywhere fast in this weather; they predict we've got 2 more days before it gets any better, i.e. warmer. We are luckier here than many - back in Bedford, it's alot colder. He he!
So, for now, it's "A Merry Christmas" to all my readers.
Friday, December 17, 2010
Snoday the 17th
Over the last 3 days, I have refilled the feeders with or put out - 7kg SFH, 2kg wheat, 1kg small seed, 1kg peanuts, 1 kg soaked sultanas, 0.5 kg Nyger and 6 chopped-up, wholemeal crusts. There are two large fatball feeders as well.
There have been plenty of birds utilising all this grub; yesterday, I counted 50 Chaffinch at one point before they were spooked by a lorry turning into the industrial estate; there were more uncounted. At least 13 Brambling with 8 males at once, making me think that there could be more than that. 3 BH Gulls is the most in the 4 weeks we've been here. Goldfinch numbers have held up at a max count of 10 at any one time. Yesterday late on, 4 Rooks decided to come down and scare everything for a while. Best in some ways were the 3 Siskin at once, coming to the Nyger; I find these always take some time to locate feeders in gardens, especially away from any conifers (like us). A new addition this week was Song Thrush when 2 birds were driven in by the poor weather - and possibly the sight of some sultanas.
I reckon the birds are eating somewhere around 4kg of food per day, presented either in feeders or on the ground. I can see that I shall have to find a sponsor if this weather carries on much longer!
POSTSCRIPT: Overnight we had 5cm (2 ins) of snow - elsewhere in the county they had up to 20cm.
Got out early and cleared some snow in the orchard and put down fresh wheat and mixed seed for the expected breakfast rush. About an hour later, I did count 15-16 Bramblings feeding in amongst >50 Chaffinches.
Following pic taken 10 minutes after sunrise from the kitchen window.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
A cold and frosty evening
Tonight was the first of the Carol Trains that run for three evenings. One comes up from Bishops Lydeard and the other from Minehead. They meet and exchange engines at Williton. The passengers alight together with their particular brass/silver band and sing carols, the up passengers in the car park and the down passengers on the platform.
We arrived shortly after 7pm, anticipating the first arrival at around 7:30. At first we were told that it would be 7:40 but the volunteer staff soon found out that it would be 8:40. So we sat in the warm 'Waiting Room' with a coal fire and a cup of coffee.
It turned out that the up train arrived before half-eight and before twenty minutes of carols were over, the Minehead train arrived, having been delayed by 10 minutes due to an incident. The engines then switched tracks, ready to pull a different set of carriages back to where they started. It was quite cold by now and we were beginning to feel and so we left for home. It was nearly 10 o'clock before the trains departed; I heard the down train puffing its way up the 1:99 incline to Stogumper from my bedroom as I typed this.
Today's garden birds featured a good number of Brambling again, 8 to be exact, together with 25+ Chaffinch, about 20 Greenfinch (although not all at once) and 8 King Harrys (Goldfinch to you), plus the usual Blue, Great and Coal Tits, Robins, Dunnocks, Pied Wag, Jackdaws, Rooks, Wood Pigeons and Herring Gulls.
We arrived shortly after 7pm, anticipating the first arrival at around 7:30. At first we were told that it would be 7:40 but the volunteer staff soon found out that it would be 8:40. So we sat in the warm 'Waiting Room' with a coal fire and a cup of coffee.
It turned out that the up train arrived before half-eight and before twenty minutes of carols were over, the Minehead train arrived, having been delayed by 10 minutes due to an incident. The engines then switched tracks, ready to pull a different set of carriages back to where they started. It was quite cold by now and we were beginning to feel and so we left for home. It was nearly 10 o'clock before the trains departed; I heard the down train puffing its way up the 1:99 incline to Stogumper from my bedroom as I typed this.
Monday, December 6, 2010
Dovedale - End of an era
From the Ashbourne News Telegraph incorporating The Derbyshire Advertiser and Uttoxeter News dated October 6, 2010.
"Work to start on [Dovedale] foot bridge
"WORK is due to start next week to replace the footbridge [designed by the then young highway engineer, Errol Newman, and made from English Elm] next to the car park at DOVEDALE.
"The existng timber bridge dates back to 1966 and is starting to rot, say county councillors.
"A new bridge has been made to the same design as the old one. [Do my drawings still exist?]
"Work starts on Monday and will take around a week."
Pictures taken in spring 2009 by the original design engineer [me/EN]
The original construction consisted of two sections of Elm beams 42' long and 17" deep. All the boards and rails were cut from the same two trees. The ironwork was all forged locally. The timber cost £800 felled and sawn and the total cost was c.£1200 (pre-VAT). Hundreds of thousands of people have crossed this bridge during its life and the treads have been replaced many times. It replaced a bridge made from two Douglas Fir poles that was rotten in mid-stream.
"Work to start on [Dovedale] foot bridge
"WORK is due to start next week to replace the footbridge [designed by the then young highway engineer, Errol Newman, and made from English Elm] next to the car park at DOVEDALE.
"The existng timber bridge dates back to 1966 and is starting to rot, say county councillors.
"A new bridge has been made to the same design as the old one. [Do my drawings still exist?]
"Work starts on Monday and will take around a week."
Pictures taken in spring 2009 by the original design engineer [me/EN]
The original construction consisted of two sections of Elm beams 42' long and 17" deep. All the boards and rails were cut from the same two trees. The ironwork was all forged locally. The timber cost £800 felled and sawn and the total cost was c.£1200 (pre-VAT). Hundreds of thousands of people have crossed this bridge during its life and the treads have been replaced many times. It replaced a bridge made from two Douglas Fir poles that was rotten in mid-stream.
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Mini walks started
I say that loosely; the dogs need exercise other than careering round the garden. Mostly it's to the shops via the rec. and beside the "river" Willit. Yesterday we ventured a little further, this time out in to the countryside.
We took a path that sort of follows the Willit downstream to Donniford. After crossing the railway, you come to a nursery beside the "river". A good place to look out for birds and always turns up Song Thrush [why don't they come into the garden - it's only 300m.] Turning up "the drive", there are a number of decent Alders and usually some Siskins. Much of the land is permanent pasture with horses nearest the water.
As the drive widens out nearer the farm and barn conversions, there are more bushes. There always seems to be a number of Blackbirds here; I wonder if they're locals or incomers?
The path passes through the old farmyard and rises up a little, with sheep pasture on the steep hill to the east. There was Fieldfare in a veteran tree that looked possibly good for Little Owl. The dogs have to navigate the stiles using various devices of opening and closing a small hole at ground level.
Further on it looked like turnips but was probably beet. The hedges here are old and thick and have already been sliced off. Devoid of anything other than a Dunnock.
Eventually we came to a small converted farmhouse and an unmade road called 'Watery Lane' ['cos it's beside the "river"]. Although the area turns into a couple of dozen old holiday bungalows, we suspect the gardens are someone's pride and joy in summer.
There was a remnant orchard near the "main road" with loads of fallen apples. On the deck enjoying them were a couple of Blackbirds, some Chaffinch, a Woodpigeon and a female Pheasant. I expect she had ventured out from the small plantation on the overlooking hill; it looked much like a shooter's lay-out. We returned back the way we came without event.
We connected withthe Santa Special at the station. Lots of smoke, steam and whistles, with a bit of flag waving and baton changing.
Extra species that have arrived in the garden since my last posting are:
Blackcap 1, Greenfinch up to 11, Green Woodpecker, Mistle Thrush, Pied Wagtail & Treecreeper. Chaffinch are now up to a dozen or more at a time.
Garden feeders - just before the post dawn rush!
A local birder called Frank reckons he saw a Lesser 'pecker a couple of weeks ago, just along where we had walked, his first for 10 years or so.
Getting the cat "sorted" on Tuesday.
POSTSCRIPT: On the way back through the station platform I had a chat with the "Stationmaster". When the line was British Rail, he had worked there for 27 years until closure of the line following Beeching. He was dressed in his uniform with silver braid on his cap. Jenny went to the Parish Council meeting tonight, Monday [the day after] and learnt that he had died that same evening, less than six hours after I last spoke to him. He was well liked in the village and a bit of a character.
We took a path that sort of follows the Willit downstream to Donniford. After crossing the railway, you come to a nursery beside the "river". A good place to look out for birds and always turns up Song Thrush [why don't they come into the garden - it's only 300m.] Turning up "the drive", there are a number of decent Alders and usually some Siskins. Much of the land is permanent pasture with horses nearest the water.
As the drive widens out nearer the farm and barn conversions, there are more bushes. There always seems to be a number of Blackbirds here; I wonder if they're locals or incomers?
The path passes through the old farmyard and rises up a little, with sheep pasture on the steep hill to the east. There was Fieldfare in a veteran tree that looked possibly good for Little Owl. The dogs have to navigate the stiles using various devices of opening and closing a small hole at ground level.
Further on it looked like turnips but was probably beet. The hedges here are old and thick and have already been sliced off. Devoid of anything other than a Dunnock.
Eventually we came to a small converted farmhouse and an unmade road called 'Watery Lane' ['cos it's beside the "river"]. Although the area turns into a couple of dozen old holiday bungalows, we suspect the gardens are someone's pride and joy in summer.
There was a remnant orchard near the "main road" with loads of fallen apples. On the deck enjoying them were a couple of Blackbirds, some Chaffinch, a Woodpigeon and a female Pheasant. I expect she had ventured out from the small plantation on the overlooking hill; it looked much like a shooter's lay-out. We returned back the way we came without event.
We connected withthe Santa Special at the station. Lots of smoke, steam and whistles, with a bit of flag waving and baton changing.
Extra species that have arrived in the garden since my last posting are:
Blackcap 1, Greenfinch up to 11, Green Woodpecker, Mistle Thrush, Pied Wagtail & Treecreeper. Chaffinch are now up to a dozen or more at a time.
A local birder called Frank reckons he saw a Lesser 'pecker a couple of weeks ago, just along where we had walked, his first for 10 years or so.
Getting the cat "sorted" on Tuesday.
POSTSCRIPT: On the way back through the station platform I had a chat with the "Stationmaster". When the line was British Rail, he had worked there for 27 years until closure of the line following Beeching. He was dressed in his uniform with silver braid on his cap. Jenny went to the Parish Council meeting tonight, Monday [the day after] and learnt that he had died that same evening, less than six hours after I last spoke to him. He was well liked in the village and a bit of a character.
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