EPIC WATERFOWL-WATCHING!!!

You know that waterfowl reserve near the plum trees I told you about? Well I visited it again, fully kitted out with a drink, a packet of Cadbury's Dairy Milk Chocolate-Coated Peanuts, my new (well, third-hand) phone with a really good camera, my field note-book, my Birds of Britain field guide, a pen, and plenty of insect repellent sray and bite and sting cream, all squashed in a Tesco carrier-bag. Not an ideal container, but who cares? On with the birds.

Waterfowl Reserve. There are a further two ponds, but they didn't fit in the photo.

Spotted:

This time, some Mallards, a couple of drakes, but mainly ducks.
A Mute Swan couple and their cygnets, plus a lone pen (female swans are pens, males are cobs).
Shovelers, don't know how many.
Lots of Coots.
Lots of Moorhens
A Wood Pigeon feeding it's squabs in the nest.
Lesser Black-Backed Gulls
Black-Headed Gulls
Herring Gulls.

Also, two Red Admiral butterflies, loads of Large White butterflies, and a White-Banded Snail

I dropped my pen (writing implement, not female swan!) in the Stinging Nettles (or "stingers" as we call them) a few times, and had to use the leg of a folding chair to get it out. We had a walk down by the sea, too. The tide was well in! Salt-water splashed up over the edge of the raised path, and it completely covered the breakers below. I bet they were just a sort of gull, but we spotted some large birds in the distance, fluttering with gentle wing-beats in circles, and then suddenly shooting like Gannets into the waves, and bobbing up again moments later. Oh, and you would like my Gannet and Kingfisher poems too!! (I love writing animal poems!!!!) Shall I show you them? I think so.

Kingfisher

A kingfisher waits

By the side of a river

A shimmering arrow

Drawn out of its quiver

Patiently waiting

For the little fishes

For a big fat one

The little bird wishes

That wish has come true

And under the water

Comes the big fish

The bird’s gonna slaughter

The kingfisher darts

And all is still

And comes back up with a fish in his bill!

Sums the beautiful bird up perfectly, doesn't it?

Gannet

As I draw my wings closer

I accelerate until

At the moment of entry

I am a perfect spindle.

From sharp beak

Through streamlined body

To fine, black wingtips

Slamming into the sea

With a mighty splash.

Copyright Eleanor Woodcock 2012   (YOU ARE NOT STEALING MY POEMS!!!!!)

The perfect tecnique isn't it, diving? Well the Kingfishers and Gannets prove it! I hope to show you my other animal poems at a later date. My other poems are: Stoat, Golden Eagle, Capercaillie, Wildcat, Red Stag, and Hoverfly. I have also written a poem called The Candle and a metaphoric one called The Hound of the Seas that I would like to share with you. Six of them, Gannet, Kingfisher, Golden Eagle, Stoat, and The Candle have been published by my great-uncle Alan Carter and his Q.Q Press team in their poetry magazine, Quantum Leap. Anyway, on with the waterfowl!

I found some bindweeds along the coast. A pink-and-white striped Sea Bindweed, and a white bindweed. It could have been a form of Sea or Field Bindweed with no stripes, or a Greater (or Hedge) Bindweed that had grown very small due to the harsh coast conditions. Who knows? Both of the flowers were about an inch (2.5cm) across, and were quite bushy (they had nothing to climb).

Sea Bindweed, an inch across

Small White Bindweed (un-striped Sea or Field or a small Greater. Who knows?)

If  you do, please tell me. Also, I found numerous tiny plants with red flowers dotted around as well. The whole plants were about two-and-a-half inches across and the single flowers were about half a centimetre across. I couldn't identify the plant, but you readers may be able to. T+ake a look at the flower.

Weeny isn't it? Have a go at identifying it for me.

One time, before I started this blog, I was walking around ---------- (remember, the location is secret until there is no plums left!) when up in a tall English Oak (or Pendunculate Oak if you prefer, Latin name, Quercus robur. Sorry, I love all the technical stuff!), a huge open-fronted nest-box was fixed alongside the trunk. I could see the nesting material from below, but it could have been put there by a person. I hope it was put in the box by a bird. I wonder if it has been used by the Kestrel I have seen hunting voles on a hill near the coastline. I'll have to write a poem about that fantastic bird! I don't have a photo, it was too high up to get a clear one, but I really want to see a parent bird go inside! Happy birding, folks! Please try to identify the mini-flower for me! Bye-bye, and thank-you for reading.