22 May 2009
Goldfinch
Another one of my frequent visitors and one by one I am taking their portraits, give's me something to do when at a loose end, which I must add is not that often.
Redshank
A handsome bird but lacked a bit of decorum in his approach getting shunned by all he he tried to impress, never mind there's always next year.
20 May 2009
Avocets setting up home
As you can see I am at last getting out and about, after the trauma of two moves, we are now getting used to the area.
Next week we are off to Jersey, and it is my hope to photograph a GREEN LIZARD they can grow to a fair size, I saw the rear end of one once as it made it's way rather rapidly through the grass, the disturbance to grass and foliage left me in no doubt it was a large adult.
5 May 2009
Pied Wagtails on my lawn
Eight Wags on my lawn there were twelve but alas never had the camera to hand.A DITTY FROM MY SCHOOL DAYS.
Were I a water-wagtail pied,
And free of all the countryside,
With feet for earth and wings for heaven
I’d go to Cornwall or to Devon.
I wouldn’t stay like a silly fool,
On a sewage farm in Liverpool.
3 May 2009
WW1 MOBILE HOMING PIGEON LOFT.
British army communication corps
mobile loft, they were all trained to home in on Bletchley, they would then pass on relevant information to the division it concerned.
Bird History
Just for a change and between postings of pictures that have been a trifle infrequent of late, I have had to satisfy myself due to health with musings of previous trips out and the odd snap from my window, but nevertheless, birds are birds and there are those that will always be destined to be more numerous than others, therefore making less numerous species rarer and more desirable to seek out and list.
I have compiled this article on Pigeons it is not usually discussed in birding circles but hope that you may find it of interest, so, beware there may be other articles in the pipeline.
Pigeon fancying was an interest of mine as a child and shared a pigeon loft with a friend it turned out to be a five minute wonder and we gave away our birds.
The following article is an insight into the role pigeon's played in safeguarding this countries security during wartime conflicts.
Pigeons at War
At the outbreak of World War 2 thousands of Britain’s pigeon fanciers gave their pigeons to the war effort to act as message carriers. During the period of the war nearly a quarter of a million birds were used by the army, the RAF and the Civil Defence Services including the police, the fire service, Home Guard and even Bletchley Park. Pigeon racing was stopped and birds of prey along the coasts of Britain were culled so that British pigeons could arrive home unhindered by these predators. There were tight controls on the keeping of pigeons and even rationing for pigeon corn.Homing pigeons were used not only in Western Europe by British forces but also by American, Canadian, and German forces in other parts of the world during the war – Italy, Greece, North Africa, India and the Middle and Far East. One pigeon, GI Joe, saved the lives of thousands of British troops who were preparing to take an Italian town after the US Air Force had bombarded the Germans. However, the British forces found no resistance from the Germans and so entered the town unchallenged. Unfortunately the USAF were already en route to bomb the town and with radio contact broken GI Joe fly over a mile a minute (60 mph) back to the base. He arrived back just in time for the air raid to be called off before the USAF would have bombed our troops. All RAF bombers and reconnaissance aircraft carried pigeons and, if the aircraft had to ditch, the plane’s co-ordinates were sent back with the pigeon to its RAF base and a search and rescue operation was effected. Thousands of servicemen’s lives were saved by these heroic birds that flew often in extreme circumstances. During World War II homing pigeons were seconded into the National Pigeon Service from Britain’s fanciers including one from the Royal Lofts. In fact one pigeon, Royal Blue, was the first pigeon to bring a message from a force-landed aircraft on the continent. On the 10th October 1940 this young bird was released in Holland. He flew 120 miles in 4 hours 10 minutes reporting the information regarding the situation of the crew. After the war, the Dickin Medal was instituted. Commonly known as the Animal VC, it was awarded to 53 animals including 32 homing pigeons including Royal Blue.Pigeons carried their messages either in special message containers on their legs or small pouches looped over their backs. Quite often pigeons were dropped by parachute in containers to Resistance workers in France, Belgium and Holland. This was often quite precarious as it was a bumpy landing and very dangerous for the Resistance workers if they were caught with a British pigeon. Aircrew carried their pigeons in special watertight baskets and containers, in case the aircraft had to ditch into the sea. Pigeon lofts were built at RAF and army bases but the mobile lofts had to be constructed so that they could move easily over land.The Dickin Medal was awarded for any animal displaying conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty during World War II and its aftermath. Of the 53 Dickin Medals presented, 32 went to pigeons.
2 May 2009
Blackbird
He stood on the lawn posing, so the least I could do was to accommodate him with a portrait.
28 Apr 2009
RSPB Osprey Nest Site, South Wales.
This was two years ago on our way back from the Brecons saw a notice "RSPB This Way" so decided to follow the signs ended up in a field where the RSPB had opened a temporary small visitor centre, inside they had cameras on the nest really good definition. I set up my scope for a view asked an official where the nest was and he pointed to the tree's just left of centre, my scope is not bad , but this distance was a trifle to far away, we made enquires from time to time and learnt that the pair had successfully reared two chicks and were ringed at five weeks, the year before the chicks died of hypothermia heavy rain and unseasonal low temperatures were to blame.
Paired Redshanks
These birds are now seriously into nesting also ringed Plover in the same area, RSPB Elmley.
26 Apr 2009
22 Apr 2009
21 Apr 2009
Upper Halling, North Downs
In 1944 I was four years old and lived on the pilgrims way, Upper Halling, we moved up from Whitstable so as to make it easier for my father to get to his work place, Chatham Dockyard. We rented the last property on that road in those days, which was a bungalow. I remember my mother cleaning a lettuce at the rear kitchen window and I stood alongside her and pointed to an aircraft on fire and plummeting to earth, it crashed and remember a tall plume of smoke and explosions, police and fire brigade were in attendance but could do nothing, the pilot was killed , and years later my mother told me the aircraft was one of ours and was limping back to West Malling Air Station after an encounter with the enemy, when it could no longer stay in the air it crash landed, this hole is all that remains of that memory all those years ago. Tuesday was a bit of a pilgrimage which I have made many times, but I do not think we will be able to climb the downs next year, we only just made it this time after about fifteen stops and using my inhaler frequently.
Wonder if Ken is familiar with that particular spot and the public footpath with the two stiles?
Jackdaw
A very warm afternoon which resulted in this Jackdaw laying down and spreading it's wings, it stayed in this prone position for ten minutes, this roof is south facing but I can think of no other reason than he was just enjoying the warmth, as I was, obviously not lying on a roof.
The closest I have been to experiencing this behaviour have been Blackbirds lying in the same position but on the ground and have read that this activity is a de-lousing activity and is not the same behaviour activity as this Jackdaw.
So come on guys, is anyone else familiar with this activity?
20 Apr 2009
Jackdaw's
When you get to observe these playful, cackling, birds at close quarters, they seem to have individual personalities and my observations put them as diverse as our own race.
19 Apr 2009
The caterpillar of the Brown Tail Moth
Two pictures taken today 19th April of caterpillar hatchlings on a Hawthorn, no doubt that Greenie or Warren can supply the species?
Many thanks Greenie and Warren for the identification it's a good job I never touched them I have enough allergies the Yellow fields are particularly bad for me, I think they have planted up Sheppey leaving only RSPB Elmley uncropt.
18 Apr 2009
14 Apr 2009
The RSPB Elmley HQ.
Showing the farm at distance and the three Oaks that the barn owls nest in every year, nest boxes of course.
This years Avocets
The Avocets are back at RSPB Elmley in greater numbers than of previous years they are even occupying the recent scrape adjacent to the farm and viewed from the farm.
They, to me are still one of my top ten UK birds.
6 Apr 2009
Meadow Pipit
This was taken at Elmley today 6th April, 35 Avocets on Wellmarsh, 2 pairs Shoveler, a great number of Shelduck in telescope view, Ringed Plover four, left and right of the trackway before the parking area the Redshank are nesting. Also the Harriers were very active at Harty and Elmley.
5 Apr 2009
Greenfinch
This great bird has been a visitor to the feeding station for the past three days it was only today that I noticed the ring on its leg, would dearly like to know where the ringing Occurred.
30 Mar 2009
Goldfinches
The first of the more exotic birds for this area, they seem to be taken with the Niger seeds.
Taken through glass from my sitting room, yesterday 29th March.
23 Mar 2009
An Avosheld
This is a shot of an Avocet seeing off a Shelduck, the two birds in the shot appear to be one.
I have a birding book dated 1907 and refer's to a Shelduck as a SHELD-DUCK, sheld being a name I associate with Holland!!...
21 Mar 2009
Redshank
This is the display behaviour of the Redshank, quite a nice little frock.
This was last year and he did win the ladies heart, taken at RSPB Elmley Isle of Sheppey, Kent.
Spotted Redshank
A very obliging bird, taken at Oare, Faversham, last year from the side of the main road, looking east.
18 Mar 2009
This book by R. Kearton, F.Z.S and his brother C. Kearton both are keen Naturalists and photographers they relate how dangerous it was 102 years ago to procure a half decent picture of any bird, Up a Tree or down a Cliffe they were pioneers of nature photography.
I take my hat off to these and men unless a Great Skua gets there first!......
I think F.Z.S is Fellow of the Zoological Society
Hope he had a good look round for the Ram.
And to sit inside this stuffed sheep on a summers day must have been more than uncomfortable.
The camera lens protruded from under the head.
At Muckle Flugga
Then get your block knocked off by a Great Skua, surely there must have been less risky passtimes even in those days.
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