Aylestone Meadows

Sunny Days - Dragons and Damsels continued...

2008-06-08T16:24:00.004+01:00

Banded Demoiselle's copulating in the wheel position, this one's not in the Kama Sutra!

Red-Eyed Damselfly - Keep an eye out anywhere there is floating vegetation, look slightly front-heavy when flying over water

Damselfly Heaven - On the River near You

Loads of emergence and activity at the moment across all sections even those without evident water as newly emerged individuals 'teneral' seek refuge and maturity in the greenery after a year or so underwater. Added Red-eyed Damselfly and large Red Damselfly to the year list but despite attempts, the latter have eluded being photographed so far, as have the Four-spotted Chasers which can be bloody annoying at the best of times....In fact come to think of it, most of them are!! I ventured south of the site today, down to Saddington along the Grand Union there where there are literally Damselflies everywhere including loads of Large Red, a few White-legged amongst stacks of Azure etc the habitat looks the same, conditions, vegetation, water flow.. and it's not far so why the absence of similar numbers of Reds and White-legged's.. Dragons are strange things!

LBJ's - Warblers

2008-06-06T16:05:00.005+01:00

Common Whitethroat - Male

Reed Warbler - A true LBJ

Reed Warbler - He's been singing so much he's actually fallen asleep!

LBJ's - Little Brown Job's - My Favourites.... The Common Whitethroat is quite a widespread summer visitor and a breeder on the Meadows and can be heard and seen pretty much anywhere there is some decent scrub and vantage/song posts and perches. It's lovely scratchy song can be heard pretty much all day long at the moment especially in the vicinity of the boardwalk on the north section and the packhorse area in the south. There's plenty of song-flighting going on right now especially at the former site as rival males vie for the best spot.

More an LBJ than the Whitethroat, The Reed Warbler is one of our scarcer birds and there are currently two males (up one from last year) singing on site at the moment.

Damsels and Dragons...

2008-06-05T17:36:00.004+01:00

Broad-bodied Chaser - One of my favourites

Broad-bodied Chaser - Male

Black-tailed Skimmer - Similar to the Broad-bodied but look at the wings and tail

Blue-tailed Damselfly

The last few days has seen an increase in the emergence of a good variety of both Damsel and Dragonflies. Damsels are fairly difficult due to their small size but will generally perch for long enough periods to enjoy and identify. At the moment, all areas are very productive but especially the long grassy edges of the Biam and the main scrape beside the boardwalk. In fact spending anytime beside the main boardwalk pool is a real joy on fine weather days like today has been. There are currently three species of Damselfly showing (more to follow, hopefully soon), these are the Common Blue, Azure (gorgeous little things!) and the Blue-tailed Damselfly (pic above). There are also now a few Broad-bodied Chasers around, at least two Four-spotted Chasers and the odd Black-tailed Skimmer, these splendid beasts can be seen regularly patrolling the pools mid-morning or perched up on the reeds - the Skimmers often rest on the mud edges. Go and enjoy, you won't be disappointed and whilst your looking, the resident Whitethroats, Sedge Warbler, Kingfisher and Reed Bunting should keep you occupied!

Reed Bunting

2008-06-03T14:57:00.005+01:00

Warming up..

His favourite perch..

Male Reed Bunting in full song!

Still writing up China, so little time to focus on this blog but here's a few images I took earlier today. I guess this bird should be regarded as 'habituated' as it sings daily alongside the boardwalk. Believe me, elsewhere on the reserve they are rather typically more elusive and shy.

Banded Demoiselle

2008-05-31T20:13:00.005+01:00

Banded Demoiselle - a living jewel!

Male, sometimes you've gotta get wet

Female

I'm back and should be updating regularly from now on. Went for a breeding bird survey today with a few nice results to follow later. In the meantime, noticed a large emergence of Banded Demoiselles today, particularly along certain sections of the Biam. This is the beginning of a great season, Dragons and Damselfies....Coming Soon!

Away to Easterly Winds....

2008-05-03T08:55:00.002+01:00

Apologies for the limited number of recent posts, I'm away working in China on Spring Bird Migration for the next few weeks....I'll be back soon.
In the meantime, anyone see anything interesting do please drop me a line, Cheers!

Sunny Days....

2008-04-26T18:21:00.002+01:00

The really nice weather has brought out an array of wonderful songsters and the Meadows has literally been buzzing with activity. There are now at least 10 Whitethroats scattered throughout the North Section with the birds along the boardwalk, certainly the easiest to see with two great performers near the main scrape. There is a Garden Warbler singing near the main car park but is typically difficult to dig out. Blackcaps seem to be everywhere, especially on the North Section and along the Great Central between the sites. A couple of Lesser Whitethroat have been singing, as usual from inside cover but the bird south of Kings Lock close to the ring road is the easiest to see. Two Sedge Warblers have so far taken up territory but are currently spending a lot of time singing from within the brambles, hopefully the next few days will see them getting a little bolder. Still no Yellow Wagtails, could be the first year in a long time of a no sign in Spring.
Sat and watched one of the smaller ponds and had an astonishing 10 male Smooth Newts visible at the same time in the late afternoon, very nice!

Sylvia City!

2008-04-23T17:47:00.001+01:00

Seemed to be stacks of Sylvia warblers moving slowly up the watercourse today. I saw lots more Blackcap than usual, many of them just feeding away indicating they'd perhaps just arrived. The now familiar territorial singers were all blasting out their pretty amazing repertoire. Whitethroats were also very evident today and again migrant birds moving through, every now and again you would hear a burst of that lovely scratchy call. A very smart looking Lesser Whitethroat was new today on the North Section in an area that held one last year and on the Southern Section just north of Bluebank a couple of Tree Pipit which are always good to see. Same thing with Hirundines particularly Swallows, small groups in waves often accompanied by the odd martin. I think the breeding pair are back at Kings Lock as there was a frenzy of arial activity with excited chattering as a/the pair chased each other around - bearing in mind their arduous journey all the way to and then back from Africa I'm surprised they weren't doing loop de loops!

Funniest thing today was a rival, note rival Great-spotted Woodpecker that has taken it upon himself to drum on one of the metal pylons. This isn't actually as daft as it sounds as the drum roll resonates off the metal and seems to be greatly and oddly amplified. It's driving the breeding pair nuts and there is such a response I'm surprised half the trees are still standing - Territorial Evolution in the making?

And still they come.....

2008-04-22T22:12:00.002+01:00

Another Redstart today, this time a female very briefly along the hedgerows that line the Biam on the Southern Section was a rather lucky find as I was trying to dig out the first singing Sedge Warbler of the Spring at the time. Three now, just like the good old days! A couple more singing Whitethroat had joined the others on the North Section and it probably won't be long before there's half a dozen singing away at each other. LRP's still around, anyone checked the Grove birds recently?

When the East Wind Blows......All hell breaks loose!

2008-04-21T14:19:00.002+01:00

I thought I was having an amazing few days, loads of birds moving through as you would expect with easterlies and a little light rain. Having looked at the various Soar Valley birders blogs I actually feel pretty gripped, the Meadows didn't quite hit the mark the other sites reached. I envy the Bittern, no chance here, we ain't got a reedbed, Adult Little Gulls, Arctic Terns bloody hell!
Have a look at John's Drunkbirders blog for some stunning Little Gulls, Russ's Thortonmothman finally lots of migrant activity and the SoarValley birders and the Bittern....

On Friday I was quite surprised to see a Swift cleaving around over the North section as it still seems bloody early. This was followed by a rather superb Hobby straight down the line of the boardwalk and over the gas towers and presumably Leicester City Center. A Reed Warbler made a brief appearance on Saturday near the end of the boardwalk and I'm hoping it's one of our only breeding pair. This was followed by stacks of phylloscopus warblers moving through, presumably destined for breeding areas much further north. Today a couple of Whitethroats holding territory in their favoured haunts on the North Section, a reeling Grasshopper Warbler near Bluebank on the South Section, an overflying Redshank in the same area, a new? pair of Little Ringed Plover, a trio of Common Sandpiper, loads of Hirundines including a lingering group of Sand martin (I wonder if they've located a potential breeding site?) but still no Yellow Wagtails !

It's all happening.... Better get back out there!

Sorry Folks....

2008-04-17T23:39:00.002+01:00

Managed to trash my car between finding these and going to get the bloody camera!
2 Male Redstart on the Meadows, 1 on the mound area on the North Section and a very showy bird on the first hedgerow south of Kings Lock cottage, both still present around midday before my little spot of bother!
Hopefully present tomorrow!

It's a bloody disgrace!

2008-04-16T14:19:00.000+01:00

Nothing to report, bar this......

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/leicestershire/7348824.stm

Softly softly...

2008-04-15T18:30:00.002+01:00

Actually it's really slow for some reason, especially as Leicestershire in general has been doing rather well with new birds arriving daily. Today new in as it were. a female Stonechat, a very elusive Common Whitethroat at the end of the boardwalk (they always seem to arrive here first, I wonder Why?), a sally of fly through Swallows and a heard only Cuckoo. The Willow Tits all still showing well on the north section as are the Kingfishers. A couple of Foxes, one on each section are entertaining the dog walkers as they hunt, seemingly oblivious, out in the open.

The Last couple of days.....

2008-04-11T12:50:00.003+01:00

Have been bloody quiet! I've been hoping for a Yellow Wagtail, just one will do! but no, very very quiet on all the paddock flashes. Rain at this time of year often brings down migrant birds and for the last couple of days I've been out looking hard for any of the possibilities we occasionally get at this time of year, another Ring Ouzel, a Redstart maybe or even a Pied Flycatcher....Nowt, not a single Oooh what was that! Still, keep telling myself plenty of time, just got to keep going. I did have an impressive group of Sand Martin with a couple of House Martin come through ahead of a front and also had a fly through 1st summer Little Gull which was a major surprise, it's only (I think) the third one I've ever seen on the site. Other than that (which is good but I'd rather see a Male Redstart) the best sightings have been a very showy pair of Willow Tits that have been around all winter but are now nesting. This species is never very easy to see on Aylestone Meadows but the last few days they've been so showy I might have to drag the camera out...watch this space! The Kingfishers are still showing remarkably well at the rather public nest hole and fortunately our less desirable crowd haven't noticed them. There has been quite an explosion of our rather unusual melanistic (black) Rabbits, especially along the boardwalk and the edge of the Biam. If you see one, don't worry...they're not escapes.

No sign....

2008-04-07T17:58:00.002+01:00

I took this photograph a couple of months ago, on a riverbank, in Brazil - these are Jaguar tracks, a large male (should have put a pen down for comparison) Pumas are wider but similar - take note, Big Cats rarely leave claw marks, there is a hint here but it's very soft sand!

No sign of the Ouzels today or yesterday for that matter - there seems to have been a fair bit of disturbance in the fields, the horses have been moved back and there are several people repairing the fences, so no surprise!
Little to report today. I thought I heard a snippet of a Whitethroat call but couldn't locate the bird in the North Section though I'm sure they're on the way. Still a good number of Willow Warbler, Blackcap and Chiffchaff singing despite the weekends whiteout!
Only new birds through today were a group of seven Swallow hawking over the fields around Bluebank lock. Got asked twice today "Are you looking for the Panther? - me mates seen it, seen the tracks" Really ? What can you say ? Look they're bloody Great Danes!

Black Panther - Aylestone Meadows

2008-04-05T20:05:00.002+01:00

I must be blind! Not only have I worked alongside big cats for six years and now work regularly abroad tracking them for Wildlife Tours and I've been doing the area regularly for thirty years I've seen nowt - no shit, no tracks zilch!
Why are they always black, I've seen Jaguars, Leopards and Pumas in the wild, not one of them was even slightly dark. Their eyes are like fire when caught by light, I know I spotlight them. The last main sighting before this one involved an assumed Ostrich leg!
Made me laugh.... anyway, from www.thisisleicestershire.co.uk

Mr Cave's wife Kerry, 43, is a sceptic but said she saw a Labrador-sized black cat with blue eyes at the side of the dual carriageway from Fosse Park to Aylestone crossroads at about 11pm on March 8.

She said: "It was very late but I saw it sitting at the side of the road watching the traffic and as I looked back I saw its blue eyes.

"It was such a pretty blue it was hard to forget - I still wonder whether I imagined it or not."

Donna Brown, 37, of the Saffron Lane area of Leicester, said she recently saw a panther in Aylestone Meadows.

She said: "At 1.30pm on January 3, I finally got to see the cat that roams around Aylestone Meadows.

"There have been sightings in that area for about 10 years now and I wanted to investigate them.

"It was lying down in overgrown shrubs surrounding the bottom of pylons.

"I saw something in a half lying, half sitting position.

"I looked straight into the cat's eyes and it was absolutely beautiful, its coat was a glossy black colour, its eyes were a yellowish greenish colour.

"I am 100 per cent sure of what I saw, it wasn't a panther-type it wasn't a puma-type, it was an actual panther.

"I am still excited about it now and will be for some time because I actually got the chance to look one in the eyes, which are absolutely beautiful."

I hope its true, I would love to see it and it would be a bloody good deterent for all our male 'bush-stalkers'!

Ring Ouzel

2008-04-05T15:34:00.005+01:00

For those that know me and are quite keen on this one, here's a quick note. Ring Ouzel(s) still present (apparently Two again this morning) in the area behind Kings Lock Cottage. I checked the area twice to no avail but then found a very elusive Male feeding along the edge of the Biam in the rough grass on the west side of the river. Best viewed from the old Packhorse Bridge looking out towards ASDA as Its too obscured from the canal towpath, as of 13.30hrs today anyway. I know some of you would really like to see one so would suggest that you first check from Packhorse very carefully, the grass is longer than you think, and the bird often disappears from view before following the towpath past Kings Lock to the end of the hedgerow and looking back. In flight, look for the striking contrast between the silvery wings and deep black body as the bird(s) fly back to the blackthorn, the white crescent isn't always easy to see in flight - Good Luck! - with poor weather for the next couple of days, they should stay around.
Other than that, No sign of the Little Ringed Plovers at either site nor White Wagtails or Wheatear.

Added after I looked at John's Drunkbirders blog - Correction: LRP still at Grove Park, maybe I should have got out of the car!

Migration continues...

2008-04-04T17:41:00.004+01:00

The last couple of days have seen an increase in common migrants and there are now good numbers of Willow Warbler with at least ten birds singing, Chiffchaff throughout both sections and quite a few Blackcap with at least two pairs at Bluebank Lock showing very well. Our birds of prey are very visible at the moment with at least two pairs of displaying Sparrowhawks, a trio of Buzzard and a Red Kite. Surely an Osprey through anytime soon and hopefully, a Hobby too!
Today I heard that there were a couple of Ring Ouzels in the usual rough paddocks near Kings Lock this morning. I haven't seen them, despite a good look, but these birds are traditionally quite shy and they could easily have been in the blackthorn or feeding out of view. Should anyone wish to have a look, I would suggest you spend some time at the end of the hedge by the canal looking toward the Biam but don't enter the field as you'll never see them. Hopefully they'll be around for a few days?
There were a couple of White Wagtail on the flash behind the cottage around midday.
Quite a few Butterflies on the wing today with the large lemon yellow Brimstones knocking about the North section along with a few Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock and Comma.

Willow Warblers

2008-04-02T17:43:00.002+01:00

A little flurry of activity this morning brought in our first Willow Warblers, at least three birds singing along the Grand Union south of Kings Lock and another near the boardwalk. There are also a few Blackcaps now singing away, particularly around the main carpark. The Kingfishers have started digging a new nesting tunnel in the most ridiculous and very public place, I fear for this one! The Skylarks are still holding territory as are the Little Ringed Plovers which looks very promising. The only other bird of note today was a rather stunning adult summer Lesser Black-backed Gull in the paddocks.

Little Ringed Plovers - it's been a long time?

2008-04-01T20:00:00.005+01:00

Male Little Ringed Plover

Female Little Ringed Plover

White Wagtail

I've been watching a pair of Little Ringed Plovers the last couple of days. It's been a while since this species has graced the meadows, in the early eighties they bred for a number of years on the southern section but since then they have been few and far between. I still haven't seen a Willow Warbler which is a bit of a surprise as they seem to be everywhere else? The Buzzards are frequently in the skies which is great to see but no sign of the Red Kites. A male Wheatear stopped off briefly on the Southern fields and there are still a couple of White Wagtails knocking about. Todays latest additions were a couple of Sand Martins which cruised through around midday. Waiting for the next wave, coming soon no doubt!

Migration...

2008-03-28T17:39:00.002Z

The last couple of days have been entertaining and literally full of surprises, some pleasant, some not! Yesterday a very brief view of a male Ring Ouzel in flight with a mixed bunch of Fieldfare and Redwing as they disappeared into the hedgerow and was sadly not seen again. Today the bulk of the winter thrushes have gone and there was no sign of the old crescent chest. Still, plenty of time for more and hopefully a photographic opportunity at some stage soon, I like Ouzels! There are a few White Wagtails, the continental counterpart of our own Pied Wagtail moving through at the moment with a nice trio in the fields close to Kings Lock. Yesterday I failed to see a couple of Red Kite that were reported over the Southern Section or a Hawfinch which was also apparently seen yesterday...aaargh! Last couple of days have produced fantastic views of the Buzzards though with up to three birds in the air and with so much moisture , particularly low flying birds. Our Water Rails seem to be showing themselves a little more at the moment and have certainly surprised interested dog walkers as they charge around squealing. It was great to hear and see a couple of Skylarks song flighting over the southern section as its almost a blast from the past these days as the population has declined dramatically here (Aylestone), surely this is the true sound of the British countyside. The Fox was again hunting out in the fields the last couple of days, its great to be able to watch a lovely animal going about its business.
There is an interesting owl around at the moment which appears to be occasionally flushed from its roost either by dogs or our alternative crowd! This is the problem - I've seen this bird going away from me through the back of the plantation but got nothing on it. It has also been seen by a couple of other people recently including a sighting yesterday and from the description, the habitat and the fact they're all daylight sightings it's probably a Long-eared Owl. This isn't the first time we've had LEO's although it's getting late in the season. The problem is with so much suitable roosting habitat, blackthorn scrub etc they can be very difficult to locate especially when your bushes are full of oddly behaving men!

It's all happening now....

2008-03-26T13:39:00.007Z

Little Egret

Fieldfare

Drake Goosander

A brilliant morning on the Meadows! Initially quiet when I first arrived but building very quickly to a fabulously varied and productive walk covering both north and south sections. The Chiffchaffs are now singing away with good numbers on both sections particularly around the boardwalk area. Chiffchaff are onomatopoeic (I had to look up how to spell it), their name is literally a translation of their song so whilst your wandering about, listen out, it's very distinctive. I found some wader footprints on the new scrape which I would guess had probably been made by a Common Sandpiper as we don't get too many wading birds through the area and this species is one of the more frequent visitors. Still it's exciting, didn't take them too long to find it, its only been built a week! On the Southern Section behind Fosse Park I watched a Fox hunting out in the open for about twenty minutes though trying to stalk feeding Woodpigeon was just plain daft. I guess, judging by the rather brazen attitude and hunting during late morning that their are cubs nearby. A Little Egret flew over and landed on the floodplain briefly before continuing along the Biam and I lost sight of it. I can't believe I actually hitched to North Norfolk in the early eighties and spent two days looking for my first one, nowadays thanks to global warming they seem to be everywhere, the slow but steady push north. The fields adjacent to the ring road are today alive with thrushes, an incredible sight. The numbers of Fieldfare have probably tripled in the last few days and there must be at least 150 with equal numbers of Redwing together with good numbers of resident thrushes. The walk also produced three Green Woodpecker territories, two pairs of Kingfishers and at least five pairs of Reed Bunting holding territory. The big surprise, because I thought they had already left were six Goosander which are still using the favoured pools together with a pair of Great Crested Grebe.

When the North Wind Blows!

2008-03-25T16:16:00.003Z

After the rather bleak, snowy weekend I half expected to find some casualties whilst I was out, Fortunately, this was not the case though seeing Chiffchaff's feeding in the snow is slightly more than surreal. Today there are still plenty of Chiffchaff moving through, particularly along the Grand Union/Soar Valley's more protected areas. I've been out looking, perhaps prematurely, for Ring Ouzel, a striking 'mountain' thrush which favours our area during migration. We tend to get a few through in Spring and generally anytime over the next few weeks, though last years exceptional six in April is unlikely to be repeated. I didn't find any today but there are still good numbers of both Redwing and Fieldfare, particularly in the Southern section to check through. The only new bird today was a very brief female Wheatear on the rough paddocks close to the ring road which vanished when the feeding thrushes were disturbed. Sadly no chance of a photograph but hopefully they'll be more through during the week.

Spoke to soon!

2008-03-18T17:31:00.002Z

I was a bit premature with my nothing about note this morning as this afternoon it all started to happen. I took a walk down the canal to survey the southern section and discovered there was indeed quite alot of movement today. In the riverside bushes close to the ring road I found a group of five and then another trio of Chiffchaff busily feeding away in a manner that indicates they'd just arrived. Eight Chiffchaff in a stretch of no more than fifty meters, just brilliant! This 11cm waif is traditionally one of our earliest migrant warblers and are birds that have probably wintered in the southern med and north Africa, though some do overwinter here in the uk. A bigger surprise was two Swallows that were quartering the fields and canal hunting midges which were thankfully abundant this afternoon providing a well deserved meal. The Swallows are early!

Still waiting.....

2008-03-18T11:15:00.007Z

As there has been some movement of migrant birds in the last few days particularly Sand Martins and Wheatears arriving on the south coast I half expected to bump into something new today. Although I only had a brief walk I actually saw very little. The councils environmental department are busy improving certain areas of the site and I think the use of heavy machinery has probably kept most birds quiet. They are improving the pools around the gas towers and the new scrape looks very promising and will undoubtedly attract migrants later in the year, and despite the diggers, the Teal are still present which bodes well. I did have a strange encounter with the woodpeckers this morning. Whilst looking for a very vocal Green I ended up finding five woodpeckers, three Green and two Great Spotted in the same tree, in dispute over the best nesting site! I was surprised just how dominant the smaller Great Spotted was compared with the more placid and usually solitary Green. I found two fresh holes, one clearly of each species no more than four metres apart. I have never seen this before, two active attempts in the same small tree, watch this space, I'll keep you posted!
Oh and I finally found some toads, two attached to the backs of female Frogs?

Now this makes me angry! Anyone seen anything? Copy and paste the link into your browser - Badger shot on Aylestone Meadows

http://www.thisisleicestershire.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=132384&command=displayContent&sourceNode=232710&home=yes&more_nodeId1=132393&contentPK=20174046

Now't better than a Newt!

2008-03-15T15:36:00.004Z

Breeding Male Smooth Newt, adorned with 'Leopard' spots and fluorescent orange belly, which you cant see because I didn't want to stress him out!

Finally, a bit of activity in the ponds! Over the last few days I've noticed an increase in movement around the edges of the Meadows ponds and thought I'd have a sit and wait session to see if the Frogs or anything else had awakened from their winter slumber. There were a trio of grappling pairs of Frogs at least though they're often a little elusive and spend a great of time sitting on the bottom, only appearing to come up for air. Activity will increase dramatically over the next month providing we don't have another cold snap and as amphibians are having a hard time globally, especially frogs, I particularly enjoy seeing them locally. I haven't yet seen a Toad but am surprised that our Newts seem to be emerging in greater numbers earlier than usual. There are three species in the Uk, the biggest, the Great Crested is also the rarest, having declined at an alarming rate across its range. Britain has a particular responsibility for the conservation of Great Crested Newts because it holds the strongest populations of this species, which is threatened in Continental Europe. Leicestershire, certainly east, has a healthy population but so far, I've never found it in the Aylestone area. Mind you, I can't really survey the area for them properly as you need a Licence from English Nature to even touch them, which would be required to document the sighting. The smallest is the Palmate Newt, a species which prefers softer water and a species I've only occasionally found in the southern part of the Meadows. The commonest is the Smooth Newt, the males have an impressive crest and are sometimes confused with the much larger Great Crested. They're actually easier to see at night, certainly surveying with a torch and last night produced six males and a female though the meadows isn't a good area to be nocturnally! Still they can be watched during the day, it just requires a still patch of clear water and some pond weed. In all three species, there is an elaborate courtship ritual in which the male "dances" in front of the female, undulating his crest and showing off his fine colours. After mating, the female lays her eggs singly - using her hind feet to fold the leaf of an underwater plant around each one.
All native British amphibians are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act, 1981.

Almost!

2008-03-13T13:35:00.004Z

Just in case you're wondering - a Great White Egret taken recently in Thailand not Watermead!

Spooky! My last post talking about our nearest Heronry at Watermead and today's news of a fine Great White Egret found this morning in the Heronry. So close, I wonder if it will wander down and grace us with its presence, especially as it's only a few miles downstream! I hope so, this would be a nice addition to the Meadows list, especially now we've had a couple of Little Egrets to join the 80's Night Herons. Generally the last few days have been quiet and obviously, the increased wind has not helped viewing conditions. There has been a couple of Buzzards patrolling regularly and appear to be frequently checking the area around the Walkers Stadium. I wonder whether they're expecting LCFC casualties?
There is another/returning flock of around 150 Fieldfare in the rough paddocks on the South Section, a small group of Teal on the gas works pools on the North Section and Sid the Stonechat's well into his second week on site. Other than that, Nowt new, fingers crossed and eyes peeled for a 'white' heron!

Grey Herons

2008-03-06T17:29:00.003Z

Grey Heron in breeding plumage - The bills flushed pink with blood, the bare skin in front of the eye has gone a purple/blue and of course, the rest of the plumage is immaculate

The 'Cheeky Chappie", Great Spotted Woodpecker playing Hide and Seek

Today was another good day, warm and bright with a light breeze, perfect conditions for a scout about. 'Sid' the Stonechat is still in his favoured field and I've named him Sid because he's a bird with attitude and is literally taunting the Sparrowhawks. Life and death in the avian world and he doesn't appear to give a monkeys. The woodpeckers, both Green and Great Spotted are really active now. The Green Woodpeckers laughing call can be heard right across the northern section and gives a clear insight into why the birds old name was 'Yaffle'. The Great Spotted has just started 'drumming' on the old dead tree close to the gas works and this should intensify over the next few weeks. There are normally a couple of Grey Herons along the boardwalk, usually fishing the Biam but today I noticed them performing courtship dances over a period of about an hour. They were also observed checking out the trees in a rather suspicious manner. The nearest Heronry is, as far as I know at Watermead, I'm wondering what I'm seeing could be the beginning of a new one, fingers crossed!

Kingfishers - A better boardwalk blue!

2008-03-05T16:36:00.003Z

Male Kingfisher - on the lookout for a meal

Male Kingfisher alongside the boardwalk today, you can tell it's a male as the bill is all black, females have extensive red on the lower mandible.

Despite my little moan yesterday I was back today, armed with a binbag to collect the offending rubbish and determined to enjoy the good weather. Some kind soul had beaten me to it leaving me to enjoy the birds....thanks Lisa, greatly appreciated!
As the Kingfishers been performing well I thought I'd have a go at attempting to get some shots, especially as one bird in particular regularly uses certain 'observation' posts. The Stonechat is also still present and narrowly missed being caught by the female Sparrowhawk which is particularly active at the moment. Things are looking up!

What's Wrong with People?

2008-03-04T12:49:00.008Z

I was looking forward to my walk today but now I wished I hadn't bothered. The Stonechats still present and did finally put a smile on my face as I was going back to the main entrance but the rest of the walk, well......
Today there is very little about and its either moved off or got its head down. There has evidently been a huge party at some stage during the night. The boardwalk looks like theres been an accident at an aluminium recycling plant and is now being sponsored by Fosters Lager (In my experience, the Aussies don't actually drink it, just export the idea here) There's only so much I could collect but still, at least they didn't set fire to anything and hopefully, the little 'B******'s' are nursing the mother of all hangovers. I'm all for people enjoying our little green oasis but take out what you bring in, there are bins!
And whilst on the point, dog walkers, and yes I am one. It's commendable that you collect your dogs deposit in that wonderful invention, the plastic bag, just don't then lob it into the bushes, it may still be there next century!
And finally, as I met two this morning, a message to our East European cousins..... STOP NICKING THE FISH!

Spring Migration - The Early Beginnings

2008-03-03T16:54:00.007Z

Male Stonechat, he should be around for a few days if the Sparrowhawk doesn't nail him

Male Stonechat...Lovely!

Male Stonechat, looking rather 'dapper'

Its generally been very quiet on the meadows since my work abroad (click on the Spoon-billed Sandpiper link to see my images), apart from the carpark that is, which appears particularly busy especially today! Authorities take note - Do we have to put up with this?
Todays a good day wildlife wise though. There is a large group of Redwings with a few Fieldfares in the horse paddocks opposite the boardwalk. Judging by the intensity of their feeding, they're not long on these shores, especially as they appear to be in 'bullet-proof' mode and are giving superb viewing opportunities, quite unlike the flighty behaviour a month ago. The Kingfishers are busy checking out potential nesting sites and I even had the male land only a few feet away, sadly camera in the car...doh!
New in today is a stunning male Stonechat which is using the rough paddock near the car park to hunt insects. Thankfully the councils environmental department have the foresight to leave this area 'rough' and it's a potential goldmine for passage birds, fingers crossed for the coming months!

The Spoon-billed Sandpiper Link has vanished from the Surfbirds News page so here it is - http://www.surfbirds.com/sbirdsnews/archives/2008/02/wintering_spoon.html

Great News from Myanmar!

"Bully's" down the back passage!

2008-02-06T12:27:00.000Z

Male Bullfinch, looking rather smart today!

No pun intended though I bet Google picks that up? Flooded again and although nice, sunny and bright, very little to report. The Bullfinch seems to be the most obvious species today and there are plenty feeding amongst the brambles on the abandoned rd between the main car park and the football pitch, hence the back passage!
Off for a week in search of an endangered and unique bird, the Spoon-billed Sandpiper (which sadly may not have long left on this planet) in Thailand. Cheers for now!

Buzzards

2008-02-04T15:28:00.000Z

Adult in a tree near the Boardwalk, presumed to be roosting as it was almost dark, my excuse for a grainy image!

Terrible shot, nice bird

The classic shallow 'V' - a soaring Buzzard

What a difference a decade makes! Ten years ago, seeing a Buzzard in Leicestershire let alone Leicester was a rare sight. Now they're even on the Meadows on a regular basis and a few days ago I even scoped one circling over the Walkers stadium. Today I saw five in the air together and watched a pair displaying over the Southern section. I attempted, very badly to grab some shots through the scope but with poor light and wind they're all a bit, well crap really!
Still they're on the Meadows, Look Up!

Winter Thrushes

2008-02-04T13:55:00.000Z

One of my favourites, the Fieldfare

Redwing and Fieldfare, check the size difference

A Redwing, the smaller of the two and no, its wings aren't red!

After the cold blow over the weekend its been an interesting few days. I finally found a wintering Blackcap, a lovely looking male watched foraging with of all things, the Chaffinch flock...slightly bizarre! Our Scandinavian Thrushes have reappeared and particularly favour the rough paddocks at the back of Kings Lock Cottage. There are at least 60 Fieldfare intermixed with around 30 Redwing and both species, plumage wise, are looking rather dapper!

Brightening Up - Before the cold!

2008-01-30T18:57:00.000Z

A little bundle of joy, a Long-tailed Tit

A sketchy image for a planned painting

The Great-spotted Woodpecker this morning, surveying drumming posts

I don't think the birds have quite sussed out the weather this week ! Due to turn nasty this weekend, today I was greeted with many birds in full song and lots of activity indicating many species think Spring is just around the corner. The Woodpeckers, both Green and Great-spotted are very active and vocal and it can only be a matter of time before the territorial drumming start. The Kingfishers have also been zipping around all over the place and are presumably surveying potential nest sites, they'll stop that idea when it snows at the weekend! There are still a few winter thrushes around but generally most stuff seems to have moved through for the time being. Entertained myself with the ever present but totally brilliant Long-tailed Tits flock as they tumble about looking for insects in amongst the bark. Its always worth looking through them as well as attracting other tit species, there's always a chance of a wintering warbler or other little gems like Firecrest, sadly no sign since the heard only.

Aylestone Meadows - Moody Days Two!

2008-01-10T13:40:00.000Z

The Lock Keepers Cottage/Cafe, Kings Lock - Unfortunately closed during the winter, just when you need a cup of tea!

The Old Packhorse Bridge, dating back to the 1500's and looking a little dramatic today!

Aylestone Meadows - Moody Days!

2008-01-10T13:15:00.000Z

The Boardwalk with a hint of the Kingfisher Pool

A Male Bullfinch, the only "pink" I want to see on the meadows!

Well not that moody really, it's actually been very good. The bulk of the thrushes seem to have cleared out and surprisingly you hardly hear even a Redwing at the moment. I've done both sections in the last couple of days. Yesterday, whilst watching the rather elusive Willow Tits which are moving around with the bulk of the Tit flock, a female Sparrowhawk came through and all hell broke loose. In amongst the alarm calls the distinctive rising notes of a disturbed Firecrest, a gem of a bird and a species rarely recorded in the county. Sadly, for me anyway, I couldn't see it in the densest bramble thicket but over the next few days I hope I'll get a glimpse. It appears to be moving around with the roving tit flock rather than wintering Goldcrests, so keep a look out for the distinctive eyestripe and bronze shoulders. The Kingfishers are still pretty active and can be seen anywhere along the boardwalk at the moment but especially around the pool midway. In the Southern section apart from an amazing array of feral geese including a Swan Goose (bizarre) there is a large finch flock numbering around 130 birds between Asda and the Grand Union which is well worth a look. Equally good is another mixed flock of Finches and Buntings in the northern section, especially concentrated around the abandoned road between the main car park and the sports ground. There are both Siskins and Reed Bunting amongst the more usual Bullfinch, Chaffinch, Goldfinch and Greenfinch.

Aylestone Meadows - Problems with Urban Birding

2008-01-08T12:22:00.000Z

Today would have been a good day. The weather is reasonably clear and bright with a slight southerly wind. In a Southerly you should always check the sheltered areas on the north side of the scrubby patches as bird activity tends to concentrate here. The problem with the Aylestone Meadows on nice days is its magnetic ability to draw in the gay cruising fraternity who also favour the sheltered edges and the best habitat. This generally means it's a no go unless your wearing a pair of trousers that only Houdini could get out of. Type Aylestone Meadows into Google and see what comes up, Today is a busy day!
Undetered, I decided to do the boardwalk and try and get some shots of the kingfisher which has been frequenting the pools on a regular basis. What do I get for my efforts ? One Black Rabbit, a poor shot of a winter plumaged Reed Bunting and a middle-aged glue sniffer practising Jackie Chan moves!

Aylestone Meadows - Checkout the Hairdo!

2008-01-05T19:21:00.000Z

After a hard morning fishing the Biam

Aylestone Meadows - More Goosander

2008-01-05T19:19:00.001Z

Three Drakes and a Duck!

Drake Goosander

2008-01-05T18:59:00.000Z

Male Goosander, River Biam

Goosanders, Aylestone Meadows

2008-01-05T18:22:00.000Z

A Pair, Check out the snazzy legs!

Aylestone Meadows - More Goosander

2008-01-05T17:13:00.000Z

A clear but cold day with only the wind to put the dampers on things. Thought I'd go and have another go at the Goosander which proved a bit more elusive and mobile today. They seem to be moving between the Biam and their regular pools around the southern section but I eventually found four of them chilling out on the bathing pool. Goosander is a member of the Sawbills, so called because of the tooth like serrations along the cutting edges of the bill enabling a better grip of their main prey, fish. They are expert divers and chasers and the Biam is perfect as it's loaded with small fry. These birds are probably Scottish or Scandinavian where they breed on lakes and slow rivers in forested areas, requiring mature trees with holes for nesting. With luck they'll be around for at least a month or so. It was good to see a flock of 70 or so Lapwing also using the pools and one of last years young Buzzards making a nuisance of himself and the gulls nervous.

Goosanders, Aylestone Meadows

2008-01-04T14:16:00.000Z

What a miserable day! Despite a fairly extensive check of the area, the weather has beaten me today. There's nothing worse than having to constantly wipe condensation of your optics. It's also very poor for photography but as I'd located some Goosander including some spanking males I thought I may as well have a go anyway. There are at least six around at the moment but they are moving around both sections of the meadows so it's a matter of pot luck. This pair, the male is stunningly pink below believe it or not, together with a Pochard, were photographed on the River Biam this morning. Apologies for the poor quality, ISO 800 due to the light, so it's very grainy but I'll have another go when conditions improve.

Should have kept my mouth shut!

2008-01-03T10:46:00.001Z

Yesterday I made the unfortunate mistake of stating 'mild winter' as today is, well, bloody freezing! The pools along the boardwalk are frozen and it looks like we're in for a bit of a cold snap. Heard but didn't see the Kingfishers this morning as I was looking for the Goosander along the Biam. He's also moved on, but probably not far. There is often a group up on the pools either behind the Whetstone Tip or on the large ornamental pool opposite Enderby Police Station or even Freemans Weir which has had its fair share of good ducks! Two Herons, the Woodpeckers and regular flybys from our resident Sparrowhawks where the only notable birds along the boardwalk. The most evident bird today seem to be the Bullfinch with its dapper red underparts and graphic black, white and grey uppers. Regular visitors to the meadows probably take these birds for granted but really shouldn't. On a clear, frosty morning, there is nothing as striking as a group perched up in open and I don't know anywhere where they are as easy to see. There are two big groups knocking around at the moment, one favour's the bramble bank close to the boardwalk near the steel container and the other regularly along the closed road that runs from the car park (off Aylestone Road) to the football fields. Very nice, have a look!

Also, if you have time, check out this link, the BBC's view of our urban gem!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/earth/nature/uk/record/1356

Welcome

2008-01-02T11:59:00.000Z

Welcome to my online diary of wildlife observations made on Leicester's finest urban reserve/wild patch, the Aylestone Meadows. I have been watching wildlife, particularly birds here for almost thirty years and have seen many changes, both positive and negative over the period. I felt, that as I'm out there at least once a day, I should write it all down and a blog seems the most beneficial technique to reach a wider audience. Once I've worked out a few technical problems with maps etc, the blog should improve.

I tend to divide the Aylestone Meadows into two sections, the "Northern", my home patch as it were, runs from Freeman's Weir south to Middleton Street and includes the boardwalk, the gas towers and the maturing plantations. The "Southern" section I regard as Middleton Street south to the back of Whetstone Tip and includes all the rough pasture between Packhorse Bridge, Fosse Park and the Tip Pools. I tend to do the "southern" bit less regularly and primarily during migration periods.

Today I walked around the "Northern" bit which initially appeared very quiet. There are still plenty of wintering thrushes, particularly Redwings roving about looking for berries. There are a few Fieldfares with them but I suspect the bulk of these are still around the Kings Lock area as they seem to prefer more windblown habitat. Blackbird numbers are still high and both Mistle and Song Thrushes are very evident at the moment. The Kingfishers have been showing well, particularly around the pebble beach area and the pools along the boardwalk and hopefully, with a mild winter will continue to do so. There are a couple of Jays, an unusual record for the Meadows, still knocking around the mature poplars along the edge of the boardwalk. There is a group of around 10 Reed Buntings which are often around the scrubby areas near the main car park, this is an unusually high number for the area at this time of year. The Willow Tits are still around and are particularly vocal at the moment as are both the Green and Great Spotted Woodpeckers. If you are walking in the area, keep an eye out for the Buzzards which seem to be making daily flyovers all the way up to the Walkers Stadium. Bird of the day has to go to a superb drake Goosander, a wintering sawbilled duck which is currently looking for fish on the River Biam, close to the boardwalk.