Mad March!!
Well what a month March has turned out to be. Everything was leading up to a glorious Spring then bang. Corvid-19 had other plans! I managed to get out a few times prior to the 'lockdown'.
I think April's blog will be a bit short though with lots of garden photos!
At the start of the month I went down Warnham for a long overdue visit. It is a great reserve, I just wish it was a bit nearer.
Great spotted woodpecker at Warnham, West Sussex.
The following week I headed up to Lancashire to visit family. On the way up I usually call in at Martin mere wetland centre. There had been reports of Barn owl sightings but whenever I turn up they play hide-and-seek! Not this time. I had the privilege of watching an owl hunt in the afternoon for an hour. Which is very unusual as they usually only hunt at dusk or early morning unless they are very hungry.
Barn owl with its eye on the prey. WWT Martin mere, Lancashire.
Red-legged partridge at Martin mere
As most of you may of guessed I spend a lot of time in Bushy park. It is one of my favourite places for wildlife even when its full of visitors. I can be there in less than an hour. When I do visit I usually leave before 9AM (when all the running events take place!). This time I decided to stay for a full day. I'm glad I did as the woodpeckers were showing very well. Normally a very shy bird they are very hard to photograph of. There were a few red deer shedding their antlers in readiness for the new ones to grow, which they do at the rate of around 25mm a day!! They become more elaborate with more points the older the stag gets.
Green woodpecker. You have to be very patient to photograph one of these birds!
Also around the park the Egyptian geese were showing off their goslings. Geese do tend to raise their young quite early in the season.
Egyptian goose family in Bushy park, London.
Red deer stag with new antler growth. Bushy park.
March is the breeding time for the hares so I popped down to my local reserve of Otmoor and try my luck. There were a few about but mostly asleep or eating! With all the recent rain it is still very wet in places but there is always something to see. The heron's were nest building and the Marsh harriers were hunting over the reedbeds.
Brown hare at RSPB Otmoor, Oxfordshire.
Female Marsh harrier hunting over the reed beds.
'The King' at Bushy park.
The Red kite
As for April, who knows!! Depending on how long we are in 'lockdown' it will only be garden photography or images from my archive. Just spending a few minutes in your garden can reap rewards and it is surprising what will turn up. As I am writing this there are majestic red kites floating past the window. You can normally see me hanging out the window trying to photograph these stunning birds!!
Thank you all for reading my latest blog it is very much appreciated.
Stay safe everybody
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Thanks
Steve