Harnham Water Meadows, Wiltshire (with re-loaded pics)

 

Hi Everyone,

 

I have re-loaded the pics, hope you can see them this time...

 

We have had some lovely weather down south this week, frosty but sunny and the birds have been very active.  The field behind the house was ploughed a couple of days ago and I have been watching black headed gulls  following the tractor and flying down to pick up tasty morsels.  The flocks of finches that had been making the most of the grain left behind in the field have been forced to the strip at the edge which has been left unploughed and I saw  a flock of yellowhammers and chaffinches all working their way along this strip which runs along behind the houses.  I counted ten yellowhammers and six chaffinches behind my own house on Friday morning.  Brilliant!

 

 

 

In the afternoon I left work early and went for a walk through Harnham Water Meadows.  First I saw mallard, coot, moorhens and mute swans.  There were lots of black headed gulls at the riverside and a few more with a lone herring gull in the field near the long bridge.

 

 

Then I saw a flock of redwings foraging in a field and a bit further on I stopped to watch a little egret fishing.  It was very successful and most times came up with a little fish wriggling it it's beak. 

 

 

 

As I walked I took in magnificent views of Salisbury Cathedral and the meadows dotted with sheep. 

 

 

 

Round by the Old Mill I saw a kingfisher streak by and a little way further on a sudden movement revealed a treecreeper.  I stood for ten minutes or so watching it 'work' the tree.  Up it climbed and then it did a freefall back down to the bottom from where it started climbing up again.  Fascinating to watch. 

 

 

 

I startled a wren which flew across to the opposite bank and then I stood and listened to a robin singing. 

 

 

On the way back I saw a grey wagtail at the mill and then I stopped and watched the egret once more.  On the final stretch of river before heading back into the city I saw another kingfisher flash by.  Wonderful!  Two in one day.

 

Finally arriving on the top floor of the car park I watched some jackdaws squabbling and strutting their stuff on the rooftops.

 

 

 

My birding day didn't quite end there though.  On arriving home I went into the garden and was looking at a pheasant over the fence when a flock of six long tailed tits arrived at the feeders.  After a quick snack, five of them moved on to next door's garden but one perched in a small tree about three feet from me and just sat looking at me.  I could have almost reached out and touched it, it was that close but I just stood very still and when it was ready it flew off to join it's friends.  Afterwards I realised that I had been holding my breath and it was probably only a few seconds but it seemed like time had stopped for a while.  Magic!