Friday, 19 April 2013

The Sands of Time are Flowing

On Thursday we went round Tuesday's woodland again. The scene had strangely changed: where yesterday a forest stood, today a sand dune loomed (apologies to JRRT). Almost half of the passing place was  completely covered in sand. To avoid the worst of the wind we walked the whole width of the wood on the road, and entered on the eastern edge. Theoretically, the wood should have been a perfect screen. However, this time, unlike Tuesday, the strong winds were making themselves felt even on the eastern edge.

Willow Warbler (c) 2013 Richard Whateley
 The Afternoon Willow Warbler
 Marsh Tit
 Marsh Tit
Richard may have spotted a flushed Woodcock, but unfortunately I was looking in another direction. We heard a distant Chiffchaff, and a Marsh Tit, but actually seeing birds today was much more of a problem then on Tuesday. Again a Green Woodpecker flew up from the heath, but we couldn't spot it in any of the large trees. 
 Sand at the Western Entrance
 Sand Dune Just Outside Western Entrance
 Ditto - with large dog for Comparison Purposes
 Sand Blowing Across the Entrance
Hoof Fungus (c) 2013 Phil Todd
 The best sort of Rhododendron in a Nature Reserve(c) 2013 Phil Todd
 Titled 'The Motley Crew' by (c) 2013 Phil Todd
The Other Phil (c) 2013 Phil Todd
Eventually, we did see a couple of Willow Warblers, including one male displaying its fluttering wings to a prospective female. A search under all the metal sheets failed to locate a single reptile. The only signs of life were a few irate ants, and a spider. 
On the way back the front rank spotted a female Great Spotted woodpecker, but the others were still observing the Willow warbler display, so they missed it.
Hoping for better things once the winds start to abate. 

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