Bedfordrshire - Abandoned Sand Pit and Landfill Site Wildlife

After a break from posting, I have decided to resume, certainly for the time being.

It is amazing what you can see in a short 50 minutes walk around an abandoned Bedfordshire sand pit and landfill site. A swan waiting for his or her chicks to hatch (the partner was sitting hidden on a nest in the nearby reeds), a rabbit disturbed a constantly calling Chiffchaff having arrived a month ago from the West coast of Africa and a Robin in the same tree. Singing Reed Warblers on the reeds (also from West Africa) and a distant mystery swimmer in the sand pit. Not at all sure what it was. At the time I thought it was a carp, but when I downloaded the photo and heavily enlarged the image, I don't think so. An abandoned pet turtle or even a catfish? Then a family of Long Tailed Tits passed through chattering away, with a lucky flight photo. Finally I popped over the road into the country park and took a few photos of a distant Great Crested Grebe. When I got home, I realised that it was a parent with black and white candy marked chicks, one taking a ride on its parents back. Although this is not a particularly rare sight, it was a first for me!

River Colne Rickmansworth - Mute Swan and Still Waters

Photos of a passing young Mute Swan on the relatively still waters of the River Colne running alongside Stockers Lake.

 

A backwards glance.

What I can't show you is the Sparrowhawk that briefly sat in a tree nearby until it quickly spotted me and flew off before I could get my camera on it.

Church Lock Grove Buckinghhamshire and Puttenham Hertfordshire - Frozen Canal

Freezing morning during the clear and cold snap on the last day of November this year.   Two days of this weather had caused the canal to freeze overnight which gave me an opportunity to take some more photographs of the canal, initially at Church Lock at Grove, and a little later at Puttenham Hertfordshire (not to be confused with the Surrey village of that name).

 

The Grand Union Canal at Grove as the sun was beginning to break through the early morning mist.

 

Narrow boats at Puttenham...

 

....with narrow boats awaiting repair.

 

Frost on the cobweb at Grove.

Ice on the canal at Puttenham....



 

... with a Mute Swan finding the conditions challenging as it half slid and crawled to a small patch of open water next to a habitated narrow boat, hoping to be fed.

Finally I spotted these frosty leaves lying on the worn stones by the side of Church Lock.  Reminded me somewhat of Bugs Bunny



 

Tring Reservoir Wilstone - Various

A few more photos from my walk around Wilstone Reservoir at the end of November.

 

Mute Swan with water frozen in time by a high shutter speed.

Oak tree and hedge in silhouette (I love the way this tree sits on the brow of a small hill - A retake of a photo taken about 4 or 5 years ago)



Autumn hedgerow colours - Sloe and Blackthorn with bright yellow lichen on the branches.



September Swans

A selection of photos mainly taken into the sun of a family of Mute Swans on the Grand Union Canal.  After so many local swan's nests were flooded this year, it was good to see this family had four surviving cygnets.

 









Startops Reservoir Tring - July Birds Pt 2

More photographs from my visit to Startops Reservoir earlier this month

A Mute Swan pretending to sleep with one eye open...

...perhaps to keep a lookout for this nesting male House Sparrow with a swan's feather in his beak.

A female chaffinch framed by a male mallard

A Reed Warbler in the reed bed of the adjoining Marsworth Reservoir

Wilstone Reservoir Tring - A February Afternoon (Pt 1)

A walk on sunny day.

Lapwings making a turn.

A young swan in flight as evening approaches

The low sun lighting the reeds