A Penney for Your Thoughts

Before leaving Andy Lindsay's house, for what would be a record long journey time from Melbourne, Derbyshire to Towcester (pronounced Toaster) Northants, we rescued this Emporor Dragonfly from one of his sash windows. Yes, I got lost again but only for what seemed like an eternity, but on arrival my Oil Rig mate Dave Penney was waiting with a welcome cup of coffee. He seems to have lost none of his enthusiasm for 'birding' as before I'd even reached the grounds (coffee that is) I was wisked off to the first of his local 'patches'.

Storton Gravel Pits is just a 20 minute drive from Dave's house, and while there was plenty to see it was common and routine stuff.

This distant Kingfisher was however a 'year tick' for Dave and a 'hat trick' for me in as many days.

The Northampton Tower, as it is known, dominates the whole scene but as a 'listed building' has to be preserved. It was built originally as a 'test-bed' for elevators and opened by HM the Queen in 1982 for the Express Lifts Company.

With 23 species under our belt, we quickly moved on to Pitsford Reservoir Nature Reserve where we found a little more to interest us.

Pitsford looking north

and east.

We soon found, or were put on to by other birders, c4 Green Sandpiper (background) and c2 Common Sandpiper.

There were also c2 Greenshank

with these 2 images being of the same bird.

There were said to be 6 Red-crested Pochard on the reserve but we only found these c4, which were a 'year tick' for both of us, if you count that sort of thing?

One of the highlights was a colony of at least 30 Tree Sparrows which responded very well to a

a little 'pishing' (human calling) which also brought a Chaffinch and a Lesser Whitethroat to our attention. Another addition to the 'year list' for me.

There was also a most welcome Wood Sandpiper, which unfortunately was keeping its distance, but added to both 'year lists' and Dave's 'county list' as was the Whitethroat. We left for home with a grand total of 50 species, so Dave, his wife Jan and I are now off out for a pint and a steak so see you tomorrow, when I predict any posting will be late due to family commitments and even later if I loose my way home AGAIN!

Boyhood Memories

The Visitor's Centre at Nottingham Wildlife Trust, Attenborough Reserve.

A part of my boyhood adventures, I could, and did, easily walk from my home in Chilwell to 'The Gravs' where swimming, birding and fishing were priority. A few memories flooded back.

What once were extensive gravel pits have been transformed for wildlife.

There is still some gravel extraction, but it is minimal and low key.

A young Shelduck

In the afternoon Andy and I wandered the banks of the Trent & Mersey Canal at Shardlow,

enjoying much of what remains of this incredible waterway system.

Brightly coloured Narrowboats and quaint looking pubs.

Some examples of these fine craft.

Part of the lock system.

and the Lock Keeper and his daughter.

Altering water levels

and what is effectively a Canal milestone.

With my own computer going a.w.o.l. on me today I have been unable to edit any photographs, so when I can there will be some wildlife photographs to publish.

Wild Derbyshire - Naturally

Chief Inspector Glen Wicks of the Yard (back-yard that is), Andy Lindsay and I enjoyed a couple of pints at the Bull's Head, Repton last evening, but not a sign of Roy Wood. However, it was great to hear how well respected he is hereabouts.

Today we decide to do a little wandering around just a couple of the many Nature Reserves close to Andy's home.

First we visited the Lime Kilns and Lime Yards at Ticknell just a couple of miles away. Active mainly in the 18th and 19th centuries, there is evidence of activity here stretching back as far as the 1400's

There were quite a few Coots feeding

young, while one pair were still nest building,

with lots of Roach showing from time to time.

We found 2 varieties of fungi but

I don't know the name of either.

Once the lime had been burnt, it was transported by narrow gauge 'tram' to be used in both agriculture and building industries. This is just one of a series of arched bridges that the vehicles would pass over.

There were a number of Woodpeckers too, with this Great Spotted being the closed one we could find. We hear several Green Woodpeckers but didn't see one of them.

The were quite a few Willow Warblers as well but

we only managed to catch up with a single Marsh Tit.

At the Four Mark Reservoir we captured this shot of a

Cormorant 'drying out',

these Mallard in flight

plus a family party of Great Crested Grebes, and a

juvenile on its own.

Before we left we also recorded one of 2 Kingfisher which was a 'first of the year' for me, but both escaped the lens.

Scaddows Oaks is part of the Severn & Trent Water Boards efforts to create a Nature Reserve and join it up as part of the National Forest.

The enlarged sign tells all.

Four Mark Reservoir somewhat low in water.

An overflying Sparrowhawk.

Not a great shot of this Treecreeper but opportunist.

A view from the top of the hill across Four Mark Reservoir to the Toyota factory, left above the trees, the Willington Power Station centre and the hills above Matlock distant right.

Yorkshire to Derbyshire

Before dinner yesterday evening, there was time to visit the North Cave Wetland Reserve a series of small flooded gravel pits not far from Jim & Liz's home. The area has been sympathetically rejuvenated for all manner of wildlife, but with birds in particular in mind. The walkways, paths, hedges and wooded areas are maturing very nicely, but it's the 'hides' that steel the show with a host of bird identification plate, comfortable seating and all round panoramas. There was nothing considered rare here but a Little Ringed Plover was the highlight, while

several dozen Rooks perched in a nearby tree,

this male Ruddy Duck cut across one of the lakes at a distance

as this Little Grebe found good pickings

directly below the hide window.

Back home Jim had made a delicious Spanish Chicken dish and produced 2 bottles of wine that I should pass on to the readership. One is simply named Black Label and produced from a blend of grapes by Australia's McGuigan family (retail £6), while the other named Charlie Herring is a Western Cape South African Tau Syrah, vintage 2007 and sells for £20 per bottle. These are strongly recommended if you can find a source. The sing song that followed, accompanied by Jim on his ukulele lasted until the early hours.

All there is to report today, is a drive of some 90 miles from Humberside back to Derbyshire, where I will be spending 3 days with oil rig mate Andy Lindsay in the village of Melbourne. It is planned to go for a pint late in the Bull's Head at Repton, so who knows we may well bump into Roy Wood again (that wood be Wizzard - get it?).