2 to 4 Jan 2020

Second of January

Tufties on the pond.

A few years ago there were very few, if any, tufted ducks on the pond, then a few started to overwinter. Now they're outnumbering the mallards.

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Lichen has for a long time been a fascination of mine. This 'blob' has moss growing in and around it - or is it growing in and around the moss. I keep reminding myself to do a little bit of reading and educate myself about lichens, fungi, and other denizens of the undergrowth but idleness takes over.

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This bullfinch was between pond and canal just above Morse Lock.

I don't see 'em very often.

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Third of Jan

Up above the North side of the pond someone's taken to hanging nets of peanuts and coconut halves full of birdy goodies in the willows. I've joined in.  There's blue and great tits feeding most times, often together.
I subsequently found out who that was - more later.

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Saturday the Fourth of Jan

A few of the zillions of blackthorn on the North of the pond are blooming early - very early - remember these pics were taken at the beginning of January.

Lichen will grow (almost) anywhere here it's on the plastic connectors of a wire fence.

I've been playing with shutter speed a bit; here's Stret Lock (above) and Deep Lock (below) bywashes in spate at fast and slow speeds

 

The lock gate paddles are raised and lowered using windlasses on rather splendid mechanisms mounted on the gates. At the 'upstream' end of the lock they're somewhat different.

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The view from Morse Lock's bridge over to Saint Anne's Church across fields and houses.

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Ivy fruits provide food for birds and small mammals throughout winter months.

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Whenever there's a decent Moon I try to get a picture of it

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That's a few more days done, I hope to speed up from now but it's taken me a while to get into making the pics and words look how I want 'em to. Publishing at Midnight Wed/Thur

Tuesday's gotta be a good day

A photo of mine's on the front page of Sheffield's Graves Park website.

Sunshine
CLUMBER!
Rough map. Today's pics on Flickr.


First: round the pond: the "middle" grebes are building a nest.

Caught them doing the dirty and then bringing reed to their new nest site.

Just a sparrow

Caught a swan through the bushes

Bought small Pig Pie & a Corned Beef Salad sarnie at Birds the Butchers' Salad Bar. I'd already got my Robinsons' OJ packed.

Walk to Clumber via Sparken Hill & Windmill Lane following footpath at end of Wop College. Through golf course and onward following path to Hardwick Village.

Very official looking notice at Heron Hill Wood the essence of which was "keep out we're working". Only afterwards did I realise that I'd misread it: it wasn't a "Keep out" but advice that there might be "Keep Out" notices elsewhere.No matter: I went to places I'd not been before.

I walked up the road to Manton Lodge. Honeysuckle, birch woodland and flowery meadows …

… and down to the lake.

Swans with cygnets: fluffy little beings.

There's a grebe on the nest.

Loads of Tufted ducks on the lake and a whole crowd of swans.

Looking through the Photos I found something I hadn't seen at the time …

… a cormorant in the middle of the lake.

Loads of Canada goslings There is a creche in the shade of a tree in front of the cafe with a couple of dozen young guarded by five or six adults.

Wandered up to the Walled Garden with the intention of going in and snapping for the competition but, calamity, I hadn't enough cash! £3 to get in & I'd only £2.50! Shouldn't have bought the pie! Took a couple up the Cedar Avenue that might do.

Anyhow, walked back home via Cycle Route 6, Windmill Lane & Sparken Hill.
Got cash from m/c in town & bought cat food. Home to home: 6 hours.

Last Sunday in May

Went out early (6:30) in hopes of seeing the grebe with chick on back closer to the bank. No such luck, she stayed out in the middle of the pond.

Walked the canal to Turnerwood, actually to Brown's lock , and back.
Python's at the BW mooring below Sandy Lane Bridge.
A couple of tufted ducks above Turnerwood double.

	One of whom looked downright creepy

   The swan's still sitting on her eggs.


Diverted on the way back at Turnerwood to follow the Brancliffe feeder to Brancliffe Grange Farm and back to Duke's bridge. All the feeder does is add water to the canal (at Feeder lock) but the workmanship is amazing. It goes for over a mile (1.4 miles actually) and most of its way it's fully canalised but only about 3-4 feet wide.

I don't know if my admiration for these canal engineers is getting through to you. These people did things with style. Just look at the Harthill feeder above Kiveton Park:

All that just to add water to the canal.

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Couple of narrowboats passing through Shireoaks: Remus and Grumpleweed, They'd been on the marina as I walked up. Usual cheery waves.

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Now, my star of the day!

On the home stretch I saw a bird in the willows on the far bank. I thought at first it was our duckling devouring heron silhouetted against the sun , but as I got nearer I could see that it wasn't.

It was a cormorant. I've never seen one so far from the coast - it even did its spread wings thing, although facing away from the sun.

From Cormorant2 May 29 '11

I'm no ornithologist and had to confirm what it was when I got home: definitely a cormorant. I'm turning into a bird nerd!

Slideshow of Cormorant: