Friday 26 February 2010

Friday 26th.February 2010

The good thing about today was that it didn't rain , but the bad bit was that it was 'blowing a hoolie' for most of the day , and even though the sun was out , the wind had a bitter edge to it . What one of the old chaps I used to go around with would call 'a lazy wind , too lazy to go around you , so it goes through you' . Another bad thing is that my new/second hand lens is playing up , so I have had to go back to the old camera for the time being , hopefully the lens will be sorted quickly .
I had a look around Kelsey Park after lunch , but even with no children and bikes , but still plenty of dogwalkers , there was not much different in what I found . On the end of the island that forms the Heronry , I found this Cormorant that is in almost breeding plumage , with it's white patch on it's leg , and it's head taking on a colourful hue . In the heronry itself , I counted at least 6 birds sitting on nests , several flying to and fro , altogether making a total of about 20 . I had to smile to myself with these birds , standing on the island , under the nests , like fathers waiting outside a maternity unit . One new addition to the scene was an Egyptian Goose on the other smaller island in the lake , the first I have ever seen in the park , and could well be one of the four seen by an angler at Hayes Trout Fishery , as it isn't far between the two sites . At the end of the lake , the water tips over this little waterfall , before reaching the town of Beckenham , where it runs underground and in culverts , before appearing again in a park some miles away . From the other side of the lake , I was able to get another , bad , shot of the Cormorant , but showing the head colouration better . The only half decent shot was that of a snoozing pair of Mallard , right alongside one of the paths .
It would appear that not just the new lens is playing up , as this seems to have taken for ever to put together , so whoever has possession of the noose , pass it on here please .
Hedgelaying tomorrow , finishing off the hedge at Lingfield , might get a few showers , just glad it's not on Sunday !

3 comments:

Warren Baker said...

Greenie,
I think Songbird had the noose last :-)

Sunday looks grim alright! But I will attempt some sort of patch visit - although not with my new camera!

Wilma said...

Hey, none of you can hang it up yet! ;-) I am counting on your photos and wildlife encounters to get me through what I sincerely hope is my last leg of winter. Greenie, it is great to see your heron nursery photos. Gives me hope that life will continue ...

ShySongbird said...

No, I sent it on to Warren on Thursday in the hope he might send me some of his happy pills in exchange :)

Like Wilma I too found the Heron 'maternity' photo amusing and could see exactly what you meant. As so often with your interesting posts you gave me food for thought with the information about the white patch on the Cormorant's leg and I nipped off to look up more on Google so I now know more about them than I did before thanks to you :)

Sorry to hear about the lens, I hope it can be easily (and not too expensively) repaired!