The trailer

Thought it was time i unleashed another video. This is a small trailer to a bigger project..


The bfbg

A long wait

With the threat of storms this afternoon it seemed a good idea to try and pop over to the farm at some point today. While walking the wilderness of Roundshaw Downs i got a text from Koje ( Spiderman ) that he was going to head over as well. We met in the hide around 1.00pm. The skies looked good, to the South of us we could see the impending storm heading our way. After an hour or so all hell was let loose and with lightning striking the far end of the lake and thunder threatening to deafen us we knew the possibility of something dropping in was high. Well the storm passed and all we had to show for our efforts was a single Ringed Plover that soon realised the error of its ways and buggered off. I then decided to try and photograph Swifts - gawd knows why they are so hard to capture, but again pic after pic showed my amazing lack of talent. It was while attempting these shots that Koje uttered those immortal words that every birder wants to hear ' What the fuck are these ' !!! I looked up from the view finder and for a split second and thought hmmm a couple of high Mute Swans, then my oh my, the reality hit me and i shouted ' SPOONBILLS '. Don't know why i shouted as le Koje was only a metre to my left and had found them.. They are a tick that i have wanted for soooo long. They looked like they were going to land, circling the lake and i thought at any minute they would wiffle down onto the main island, then in the distance i noticed the all to familiar shape of a Red Kite coming in, well that put paid to that, the gulls went up, the Kite sailed over and the Spoonbills just flew off North..

Oh and couple of bugs from earlier in the week.

Bug 1

Bug 2

Whatever

Had a two Pegs come into the farm today. The first was a male, I'm guessing the male from the pair in Sutton and was he on form. No matter what chased him around the farm he just didn't give a fek. The crows and the gulls just didn't get a look in. At one point he was flying upside looking over his shoulder and seemed to be taunting his pursuers, slowing down enough for them to catch up and then just rolling into a dive. Starlings, Gulls, Crows, Tufted Ducks, Swallows, Swifts,  and even a Dunlin seemed worthy of a chase. He was certainly the master of his space.
     In the afternoon the females turned up, completely different strategy. Fly in, catch, kill, bye

Roundshaw

Completed a circuit of roundshaw downs today in what felt like a hurricane. This place always amazes me, Skylarks are everywhere singing away and flushing up from the pathways as you walk. With views over Croydon and London, dogs walkers everywhere ( this includes me ) the wildlife certainly has a competition on its hands - a competition that i belief it is winning. The plant list is coming on quite well - i have now seen red, blue, white and purple flowers, so all good on that front as well. Will call my plant expert Frankie down to have a look soon..

Beauty within

Another day at the farm. Arrived late after a walk around Roundshaw Downs. This place has real potential. Had a Firecrest by the horse field and even stranger a flyover Greenshank. There is no water at Roundshaw so gawd knows why it was so low. Then it was onto the farm, with a possibility of rain i couldn't let the chance pass - just incase. Still it never rained but with rolling clouds i wandered around taking pics of anything and everything..

The swifts are here

Been a pleasant weekend weather wise. The farm seems to be slowly crawling towards Summer. Caught the first juvenile Robin in the mist nets yesterday and the Coots have a plethora of young coming through. The Swans are re-trying after the nest was swamped away in the recent rain. Spring appeared to splutter through, the good weather allowing the birds to pass straight over the top of the farmlands. Which for them is probably a godsend. But for a site that has been viciously raped by a heartless company when it comes to the environment, i don't think we did to bad.

On the West again

Been a strange Spring at the farm this year. Normally the wind direction that will drop the highest amount of birds is a North Easterly, closely followed by Easterly and the South Easterly. Chuck in some low cloud and drizzle and it should be a bonanza. Though this year it has been somewhat different. All our good birds are coming in on South Westerlies and occasionally Westerly winds. So yesterday a crew gathered in the hide, the wind was South West to South East and there was low cloud with occasional heavy rain and drizzle.

So Myself, Sicknote, Frankie, Pinpoint, Dave and Prof gathered expectantly. We weren't to be disappointed. With the day total ending up on

2 Bar wits, 1 Redshank, 1 Greenshank, 1 Ring Plover, 10 Whimbrel, 3 Dunlin, 4 Common Tern, 2 Great White Egrets, 20+ Swift, a host of Sand Martin and Swallow, Wheatear, 2 Hobby, Yellow Wagtail, singing Lesser Whitethroat, Sedge Warbler and Reed Warbler.