Redwings

Redwings in Bradley Stoke

Birds of winter

In the garden today Disgruntled noticed the first redwings and fieldfares of winter, and numerous they were too, competing with the blackbirds for berries. There appear to be a lot of them all over Bradley Stoke. They tend to migrate from Scandinavia when the weather there is too harsh, so if we think it is bad here now with the snow, how bad must it be over there? The wooded path alongside Braydon Avenue seems to be full of fieldfares.

More on rainfall

Yesterday someone mentioned to Disgruntled that they would like to see a cumulative rainfall graph to get a feel for the total amount of rainfall over the year. So here it is.....

Rainfall through 2009

Here are the years rainfall results as measured by the rain gauge in Disgruntled's garden. First up, the 2008 figures for comparison:-



Next, the 2009 figures. Some temperature information is also shown from the time before the Timex rain gauge/thermometer went kaput:-



Then a direct comparison of the monthly rainfall totals with the computed average. Yes, November was a very wet month indeed during 2009.....

Winter in the Three Brooks Nature Reserve

With the recent cold weather we are now well into winter, with the deciduous trees now having lost almost all of their leaves.


Bare tree


The sun interacting with the clouds produces interesting light effects in the bare trees.


Mistletoe, ivy and other parasitic plants show up clearly when there is no leaf cover.


This plough has been left from the original farmers fields to gently rust in peace.


Rosehips provide food for blackbirds and other birds.


A solitary oak leaf still holding on.


It may be winter, but the hazel trees are producing catkins already.

Goldfinches

The goldfinches are still around the Parkway Business Park, although perhaps not quite in the absolute numbers that were seen and mentioned before (the flock sizes are a little smaller). However, here are some pictures of them in the trees around the car parks.




I particularly like the one picking his beak with his feet....

Three Brooks Reserve (before the gales)

On the 1st November, before the gales arrived and dumped most of the leaves on the ground, Disgruntled took a walk around Savages Wood and the Three Brooks Nature reserve. There was lots to see, as the more open canopy made it far easier to see what is going on up above. First though, three photos showing parts of the wood.









This is an ash tree with a particularly knobbly section for some reason. It is probably caused by some kind of infection in the past.




This tree has formed an interesting base and a small cavity inside it.



The death of one thing is an opportunity for something else. Here, a fern is taking root in the hollow created by a felled tree.



There were five different squirrels at least in the woods. There are a family of three which seem to stay around the entrance to the reserve by the leisure centre, just over the foot bridge from the path which runs alongside the wood and the playing field. This squirrel is down nearer the swing gate into the wood at the bottom of the hill and path.



Many of the trees are fruiting, and the loss of chlorophyl is allowing the natural colours of the leaves to show through, in this case a particularly nice shade of red.



The man-made ponds are well established now, and this one is full of reeds and bullrushes. This one is seeding.




This lesser-spotted woodpecker was observered in the "newly" planted woodland behind the school and south of Savages Wood. It stayed high in the canopy, which made getting a clear photo rather awkward.... (see below).





Also making life more difficult was the low sun and the amount of cloud, which made for very low ambient light levels.




This dead tree is an interesting shape, and also provides perching points for larger birds to observe the area.



Down at the lake there are still plenty of birds waiting to be fed. Here we have a young black-headed gull and a mallard.



A young black-headed gull (left), and an adult in winter plumage. Note that once the bird matures, the beak and leg colour turn red, and that the wing markings also change.