Longham Lakes

No trip to Parley would be complete for me without a visit to

LONGHAM LAKES where early morning there was a noticeable chill to the air

but despite the fresh north westerly breeze the water surface remained calm and OK for observing what Wildfowl there were about.

The wayside bushes are full of fruits, while first up was a distant

GREY HERON

and CORMORANTs even further away on the run of pylons.

CHAFFINCH, Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff were present in good numbers but nothing compared with

 

Swallows, seen here in their hundreds, but even that being well surpassed by

HOUSE MARTIN numbers which were estimated as being in the 2 to 3,000 range?

Juvenile TUFTED DUCKs were well represented with at least 30 along with double that number of adults,

while a count of 22 GREAT CRESTED GREBE outnumbered their smaller cousin, the Little Grebe, by 3 to 1.

A lone WHEATEAR graced one of the park benches as a search for 'nonexistant' Spotted Flycatcher took place, but there were plenty of

LONG-TAILED TITs

to keep the camera clicking.

REED BUNTING too were seen all around the watercourse, but something of a surprise was a single

WOOD SANDPIPER (archive) which 'flushed' from the margins 'calling' and quickly disappearing to the south.

A Raven was betrayed by its gruff croaking voice, and with the arrival of this also distant JAY all of the likely Corvides (Crows) were now committed to the log.

The only DRAGONFLY seen was this COMMON DARTER and

finally, it was thought a little late for so small baby

MOORHENs, only the size of a Hen's egg, but pleasing to see nonetheless. I feel sure once I return from Yorkshire and see the Dampney's safely off for their flight to Canada, I will be paying at least one more visit to this excellent spot for wild-life!

I Am The Walrus - The Beatles

What could be worse than an evening of 'holiday snaps'? Having been at Parley Court for a whole day now, I thought this was the Dampney way of saying "time to go Bagsy" but I didn't take the hint despite sitting through about an hour of boredom looking at the likes of these.

Hugh and his mother Joan are recently returned from a cruise around Spitsbergen with some most uninteresting images.

I am the WALRUS goo goo g'joob,

followed by one of the 3 Gulls in the World that I still have to photograph myself,

IVORY GULL

POLAR BEAR

POLAR BEAR

 

HUMPBACKED WHALE

ARCTIC FOX

REINDEER and

FINWHALE the second largest creature on Earth! Now feast your eyes on what I saw today.

GREY SQUIRREL collecting nuts

and burying them as a winter larder,

before approaching and giving some excellent close views.

PIED WAGTAIL and

ROOK before spotting something a little more unusual. On first sighting this Duck on the Parley Pond was thought to be a

MANDARIN but not in a state of plumage I had ever seen before? Seeming nervous and very flighty it was only allowing for brief glimpses and the occasional photo. Armed with these I went for the Field Guide, 'Madge and Burn' but remained no more enlightened. Calling in the cavalry,

the general consensus was that it was in fact a male MANDARIN in eclipse plumage. This is the first record at Parley Court Farm, a great end to the day. PS the Apprenticeship is continuing apace!

Tales of Arabian Days - Part III

Although I arrived at Parley Court Farm mid-afternoon yesterday it was still though worth while to publish the final episode of Arabian Nites, and give me a days grace to get the visit underway. Here to start my 3 days apprenticeship in 'animal management and care' before attending Jim the Medic and Liz's wedding at the week-end I will then be taking charge of  3 dogs, a dozen chickens (and hopefully a dozen eggs), 2 goats plus looking after the farm house while my friends the Dampney family enjoy a well earned holiday in Canada.. On the way from Weymouth we saw a tardy Turtle Dove at Red Post which I had all but given up on for this year, so a good start.

Meanwhile, back in Jordan a visit to the 'Rosine City' of Petra accessible via a

narrow passage through the mountainside

which is timed to coincide with 'sunrise' to get the first glimpse of

AL KAHZNEH or THE TREASURY

The URN TOMB

and THE MONASTERY. From there it's a couple of hours drive south to the Port of AQABA for the fast Hydrofoil crossing of the Gulf of the same name and back to NUWEIBA, Qesm Dahab, South Sinai, Egypt. Along the coast road back to Sharm el-Sheikh there is a wealth of bird-life to see, many of them Gulls

such as adult PALLAS'S GULL (with their distinctive 'black head' and bulky bill)

 

 while younger birds don't show the 'dark bonnet' until adulthood.

BALTIC GULL

DESERT WHEATEAR

This shot shows GREAT CORMORANT in the distance, while on the sand bar left to right are 2 PALLAS'S GULLS, SPOONBILL and probable SIBERIAN GULL.

SLENDER-BILLED GULL

SOOTY GULL this one seemingly intent on drowning its mate

while others show more elegance.

A SPUR-WINGED PLOVER

STEPPE (BARABENSIS) GULL

WHITE-CROWNED BLACK WHEATEAR

WHITE-EYED GULL

YELLOW-VENTED BULBUL.

and finally a wander through the COLOURED CANYON.