Local life & Little Histories

and it's still snowing on the Lickies...

After a days respite from the snow (although a respite would presume that the snow isn't welcome and for me it is quite welcome to stick around), the snow came again throughout the night and  continued during the entire day renewing the pristine whiteness of the Lickie Hills and once again keeping all but the brave and hardy away from the slopes.

There seems to be a pattern that hardly anyone braves the hills in the morning and it isn't until early afternoon that families start turning up with sledges. A few dog walkers out and about this morning commented on the peace and quiet and beauty that had descended on the hills and that so many people were missing out by not venturing out. However if the hillsides were full of people maybe the charm would be lost.

The woodland team bird feeders have been unindated with Robin, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Nuthatch and Coal Tit, all of which have abandoned any reserve and are happily feeding inches away from the staff. A rather nice place to take a break and just watch the comings and goings of the resident birds.

The Beech Woods with a new coating of snow.

Looking up at Cofton through the conifer plantation.

The quarry face behind the gun butts.

Bridleway leading off Warren Lane.

Let it snow... and it did again...

Well yesterday I put up a few photographs from the Lickies naming the post 'Let it Snow', well obviously I got my wish and it did indeed snow again. Looking out the window in the morning the snow was just a dusting over the roads and existing snow on the other areas but on the hills it was a different matter.

A dull day in terms of the sky being grey and overcast but the snow cover and quiet of the Lickies today made it a magical place if you took the time to wander around and as the Ranger station was very quiet with hardly any public around I took the opportunity to get out there with just the sound of my boots in the snow for company.

 

Bilberry Hill looking across the valley to Beacon Hill.

 

Bilberry Hill looking down over to Rednal Hill.

 

Cofton Hill towards the Monterey Pines.

Cofton Hill looking to the West down the slope.

 

Firebreak on Cofton Hill.

Heavy Skies on Cofton Hill.

Bilberry Hill towards Beacon Hill.

Let it Snow...

It isn't that often that it snows and lasts in the UK however recently the country has been thrown into disarray by a couple of inches of snow which has hung around for a week or so.

Below are a few photographs snapped while at the Lickies which has been rather quieter than usual with the lane leading to the hills closed and only the brave leaving their cars further away and walking up onto the hills. So seeing as there was little to do with few public and no emergencies I walked the paths for a while enjoying the setting sun.

 

Main bridleway leading down from the Visitors Centre.

 

View from Bilberry Hill.

 

Leading to Bilberry Hill from car park.

 

View into the setting sun from Cofton Hill.

 

Pines on the side of Cofton Hill leading down to bridleway.

Another view from Cofton into the setting sun.

A quick visit to Upton Warren today gave a rather overcast and quiet vista onto the frozen Moors and North Moors Pools.

Moors Pool rather overcast but which didn't precede lots of new snow.

A Frozen North Moors pool.

Sandwell Valley RSPB Reserve & Upton Warren

This week I managed to grab a little time to visit the Sandwell Valley RSPB reserve in Birmingham, the first time that I have been there since the main hide has been rebuilt (after being burnt down by vandals). Amazing that on what should be a peaceful reserve (and what of course is most of the time) that a hide has to be built as vandal proof with a metal swing bridge employed along with high metal gates and fencing to gain access and to deny access when the hide is closed.

  I was greeted almost immediately on sitting down by the sight of a Green Woodpecker streaking along the tree line opposite the hide but apart from that it was a fairly quiet visit watching the Tufted Duck; one with 8 young formation diving under the waters surface behind her, Lapwing, Oystercatcher, Grey Heron and Little Ringed Plover.

There have also been a few visits this week to Upton Warren; the Flashes and Moors with the usual suspects around but yesterday morning and evening I was treated to some excellent close views of a Kestrel. Firstly coming back from the flashes where a Kestrel was hovering for around ten minutes over fields by the reserve entrance, and second time on the evening at the Moors where a Kestrel spent some time flying the length of the pool and along the far side before disappearing off behind the tree line to the fields beyond.

First Photo Little Ring Plover from the visit to Sandwell Vally. Second Photo Lapwing again from this last visit to Sandwell Valley.

Below photograph taken in the evening recently at Upton Warren when 10 Curlew landed just as we were leaving and the sun was setting.

Upton Warren & Martin Mere WWT

After a couple of extremely wet and windy grey days spent in Salford and watching the Cormorant in the quays trying to keep balance in the wind on one of the buoys rather like an inexperienced trick unicyclist I did manage to make it up to Martin Mere for a visit. However in keeping with the weather this last weekend it was blowing an absolute gale and pretty much everything had it's head down trying to keep some feathers attached and opening any hide window risked almost being blown backwards off the benches. The only life to be seen on and around the water being a huge number of Shell Duck and smaller numbers of Avocet, Oystercatcher and Lapwing. So the only place to get out of the wind and actually see anything was the little hide over looking the small reed pool with bird feeders either side which yielded Blue Tit, Robin, Chaffinch, Green Finch, Goldfinch and a solitary Great Spotted Woodpecker which animatedly defended it's chosen feeder against any small bird that decided sharing was the done thing.

Last night back down at the home patch of Upton Warren it was rather sunny and pleasant and we were graced by the Kingfisher which obligingly came and perched in the reeds for about 15 minutes or so without moving at all, not even a single dive. Less obligingly it decided to perch on the well shaded side of the reeds in the lowering sun and well out of the light needed to get any half decent photographs. Normally the Kingfisher settles on the other side in the light for around 5 minutes and after several dives speeds off.

The Hobby was back (just a solitary one) but it stayed far to the left of the water perched in one of the dead trees and although it was there for over an hour and was still there when we left for the night it hadn't taken flight once, so no spectacle over the water as previously experienced over the last week with the three Hobby that have been present. Apart from that nothing out of the ordinary, a couple of the regular Grey Heron, a solitary Cormorant, three Ruddy duck (two male - one female), three Oystercatcher on the far side, seven Tufted Duck, two Lapwing, several Greater Crested Grebe and the usual Mute Swans and six cygnets, Canada Geese, Mallard and Black Headed Gull.

Not the best photograph of the Great Spotter Woodpecker at Martin Mere but it was the best I could manage in the half-light under the heavy tree canopy.

Below one of the Grey Heron at Upton Warren that came down into the reeds infront of the hide last night.

Grey Day - Grey Heron

Four days and three nights spanning the whole weekend spent in Salford and working around Salford Quays isn't really something to lift the heart it has to be said. On the previous evening to travelling up to Salford I had been sitting in the hide at Upton Warren watching two Hobby hunt over the water there; soaring, twisting, diving and skimming along the length of the pool with three Ruddy Duck (two male and one female) adding some colour to water level and with the sound of the male Ruddy Duck slapping their wonderfully blue bills against their breasts.

Last night was spent in the hotel room overlooking one of the empty quays. However even here their is some wildlife. Just a little distance out there beyond two old gently rusting boats now converted into static boat homes were two Grey Heron, two Cormorant and later in the evening as the sun was dipping down behind the horizon two Greater Crested Grebe. Today has been as grey and gloomy as it could possibly be and not the best weather for photography however the Grey Heron perched out on the tyre pile in the water and entrance to this quay seemed to sum up the feel of the day; a rather gloomy looking grey heron for a rather gloomy grey day!

Upton Warren - Dunnock

A rather rotten cold has been keeping me away from the reserve for the last few days and I have been missing my early morning and early evening visits. However we did make a short visit this weekend while the sun was shining and although things were a little sparse I did snap the above photo of a Dunnock. They are dastardly little fellows to get a shot of as they tend to hide away in the foliage but this one graced me with a decent opportunity.

Apart from that it was a quiet visit to this part of the reserve, no sign of the greylags, the shellduck or ruddyduck, The Kingfisher neglected to make an appearance and even the poor old grey heron stayed away probably due to the constant mobbing they receive from the black headed gulls. There wasn't even much going on in the reeds, the reed warblers, sedge warblers etc seemed to be on an afternoon siesta. The greater crested grebes were about as usual along with some tufted duck and with a pair of oyster catcher away on one of the islands and the swifts were doing their usual aerobatics over the water. The mute swans with their six cygnets came over to the front of the hide and out of the water on this visit which provided some nice views of the young whilst a mallard very cautiously moved her brood of eight past to threatening hisses from the mute swans.

Mind even though I haven't been down to the reserve much in the past week there are still things to be seen while out and about working around the country. A visit to Salford last week gave some nice views of cormorant sunning themselves around the quays and on the journey back from Glasgow at the end of the week a stop off at Killington Lake provided some nice views of chaffinch in the trees around the lake.

Upton Warren Nature Reserve Diary

Having moved from Staffordshire to Worcestershire recently I had been musing (or rather sulking) to the effect that there wasn't a reserve close to me to call my own patch. Unpacking one of the many boxes I came across a book of reserves and places to go and whilst thumbing through the pages I noticed 'Upton Warren' with a feeling of 'that rings a bell'. It rang a bell because Upton Warren is in fact about 8 minutes away from our new home which means that I do have a very local patch to frequent.

The past week or so I have been making the most of occasional good weather and the fact that I have the reserve on my doorstep by going there almost daily early in the morning and in the early evening. One of the pleasures of the recent visits has been that on almost every occasion a Kingfisher has settled in the reeds in front of the one hides carrying out 6 or 7 dives a visit and offering really good views of a creature that most of the time would only be seen as a vivid electric blue flash as it speeds past.

It is interesting getting to know the little area of the reserve that I have claimed as 'my patch' to watch as well as noting the guaranteed residents to be seen at the moment. The aforementioned Kingfisher has a routine which I am getting to know which means that at least once on every visit I get to see it. The Grey Heron (4) all have their own resting and fishing spots and I can pretty much guarantee that at least two of them will be in one of several locations around the pool. The Ruddy Duck with it's marvellously blue bill is normally around and has become my mascot for the reserve and the first that I look for when arriving, the Grey Heron acting almost as pool guardians on every visit as they stand erect and proprietorial or hunched up neck pulled down like grumpy old men. The Greater crested Grebes are always in evidence and it is a pleasure to watch their interactions heads wagging form sire to side. The Black Headed Gulls are the bullies of the area mobbing the Grey Herons and the Mute Swans unmercifully wheeling and diving in arcs like a swinging axe. The Blue Tits, Reed Bunting, Reed Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Long tailed Tits and friends have been keeping the reed areas alive with comings and goings when all else is quite as well as a colourful visit from a Bullfinch and a fleeting visit from what I think was a Buzzard landing right in front of the hide kill still fresh in its talons. The Water rail has also made a fleeting visit before silently disappearing back into the reeds. Last night even saw a young fox in front of the hide chasing the 6 young Mallard that were there.

As yet I haven't managed to see the Cuckcoo, although I can certainly hear it most evenings and whatever Simon King might do to attract one my efforts at imitating the call certainly do not work! The Barn Owl is still elusive as well as indeed are many others that are noted down in the hide log. One item that has certainly caught my eye from this log is the mention of Otter sightings in the area and comments made in casual conversation with others that frequent the reserve to the same effect. Something to look forward to if I am indeed lucky enough to catch a glimpse. But even the ordinary is good to watch, Forty Five Canada Geese coming in to land for the night last night, swooping in in formation and circling before touchdown like Lancasters coming back to base with the Greater Crested Grebe popping up from under the water to only disappear down again like submarines scoping the horizon and the newly fledged family of seven Blue Tits that chase and dart around the trees and bushes.

Of course it's not all birds, a stroll along the river and along the paths running through the undergrowth reveals a lot more than out feathered friends as you might imagine and I am not just talking about the endless clouds of midges.

But while talking of midges that inevitably leads the subject around to bats and that of course means that we will be out and about with the bat detector at some point in the future as the area is ideal for Daubentons and Pips. I think that 'Mrs Creek' has been getting rather frustrated that we haven't been out and about with the bat detector of late and she has been spotted lurking by the back door on past evenings with the bat detector in hand as a bat detecting fix, which has even yielded some results with her picking up '45' Pips flying over the garden on their way to their feeding grounds.

All the photographs included in this entry have been taken over the last week at the Upton Warren Nature Reserve Worcestershire - (Some of them were even in forcus!).

Habberley Valley Circular Walk

Welcome to a two part audio recorded while walking the Habberley Valley Circular Walk in the county of Warwickshire.

The walk which covers a distance of 2 and a half to just under 4 miles depending on the route taken explores the lovely, peaceful countryside beyond Habberley Valley Nature Reserve in Worcestershire. The walk takes you through a section of the Habberley Valley and on through pastures, woods, alongside a stream, over brooks and over hills.

We decided to walk this circular route after a night of pouring rain so large parts of the route were rather muddy and in places quite interesting to navigate! However the walk was thoroughly enjoyable as it took you through woods, over fields and hills and over and alongside streams and brooks. Half way around the route the walk opens onto the hilltops with expansive views of the countryside around to the Clent hills and the Birmingham plateau in the distance some 15 miles away.

Click below to hear the first section of the afternoons walk from Low Habberley, past Pigstyehill Coppice with Wassell Wood to the left and up to Trimpley and Trimpley Farm with a little unplanned detour as we confused the waymarks on the route.

  Click to Play or right click to download - Habberley Valley Walk Part 1

Click below to hear the second section of the afternoons walk from Trimpley Farm across onto the hill overlooking the glacial valley and what was once a shallow sea, down into Easthams Coppice, over Honey Brook and down past Bekket Rock and Low Habberley Farm and finally to the walks end.

  Click to Play or right click to download - Habberley Valley Walk Part 2

There is a free leaflet available detailing the walk produced by Worcestershire county council and the Wyre Forest district council.

OS Explorer 218 and Landranger 138 maps cover the area and the terrain is undulating pasture, tracks, woodland, with one short, steep, ascent with steps and one, short, fairly steep descent. The leaflet warns that after rain one or two sections may be muddy and we found this to be the case, in fact some sections were extremely muddy and needed care navigating especially the fairly steep descent.

The walk leaflet can be obtained form Worcestershire County Council: Habberley Valley Circular Walk

"Wild" Life

Tonight down at Stowe Pool the male Swan seemed to be in a right temper and was holding the one Muscovy duck down under the water until some people passing started to make noise to distract the Swan and drive it off. The Muscovy did survive standing beside me for quite a while regaining its composure.

There is also a second audio post for the day as I probably won't be able to do one tomorrow.

Audio File: Download june_17th_part_2.mp3 

This fella obviously isn't the Muscovy duck.