Archives: December 2006
Mon Dec 25, 2006
Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas... a view of Cogglesford Mill in the snow last year...
... I saw all the usual today, 7 Dabchicks, RCP and the 3 ducks I always look out for and feed, 1 can only see out of 1 eye, 1 cant paddle very well because his legs dont bend ? and 1 has a bad foot which is turned back and underneath, but I gave them all their 'Christmas dinner' :) Amonst other things I also feed a Robin near Cogglesford Mill bend (only during the winter) and he/she must have seen me coming today as he was patiently waiting on the back of a seat as I wandered up :)
Terry
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Fri Dec 22, 2006
Where did these come from...
I saw 3 young mallards at the Hub today, they still had some of their downy duckling feathers on their back so I would guess that they are about 8 weeks old. I have not seen them before and they certainly cant fly, so how did they get on the Slea. There is only 2 possibilities to my mind, they 'might' have come from upstream through the town from Sleaford Castle way, or perhaps someone has put them in the Slea (a breeder ???) who has no use for them ???
This is the second day in a row that I have watched TWO Kingfishers almost side by side, yesterday they were sitting on the same branch, today they were also on the same branch but at 1 time they came together in what looked like a fight. I am not sure if it was a fight or not as once over they remained 'together' with about 10 feet between them for quite a while without an obvious 'loser'. Could it have been courtship ???
Terry
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Tue Dec 19, 2006
What a sight...
What a sight, I was standing on the bank near Cogglesford looking straight across the Slea to a Kingfisher about 15 feet up in a tree, he/she took a dive from there into the middle of the river straight towards me. There was a big splash as he/she hit the water surface and then it flew a little downstream and rested in another tree. I am not sure if the Kingfisher caught a fish or not, but I do know that this was my best sight ever of a Kingfisher diving into the water. The Slea is not very wide at all so you can imagine how close I was when it entered the water half way across the river right in front of me :) :) :)
I also saw all 7 Dabchicks and the RCP :)
Terry
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Sun Dec 17, 2006
General agreement that its a...
There is general agreement that the RCP is a female as opposed to a juvenile and it was still on the Slea this morning. Although smaller than most of the other ducks she sticks up for herself very well.
I only saw 6 of the Dabchicks this morning but I saw all 7 yesterday, I hope they stay all year and breed again on the Slea in 2007. 5 of them (I assume this years 3 youngsters and 2 parents) are much more tolerate of humans that the 2 near Cogglesford bend.
Yesterday I have a great view of a Kingfisher who was perched in Cogglesford lock, it stayed a while even when someone else came and stood on the bridge looking straight down the lock, so this one is getting quite tolerant of man.
Here is a picture of one of the sparrows I feed on my travels up/down the Slea...
Terry
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Mon Dec 11, 2006
Still there...
The RCP is still around and I also saw all 7 Dabchicks again today. Yesterday I saw the Kingfisher sitting on Cogglesford Lock wall and when he/she saw me it didnt fly off, so it/they do seem to be getting more tolerant of people. I also saw 5-6 Long Tail Tits Down stream from Cogglesford.
Terry
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Fri Dec 08, 2006
We have an RCP again...
We have a Red Crested Pochard on the Slea again...
I am not sure at the moment if it is a Female or a Male as last year we had an RCP arrive in early October and at the time it was thought to be a female...
...however it turned out to be a male...
Last year the RCP stayed from early October (2005) until Early March (2006) so it will be interesting to see how long this one stays. It seems very friendly and takes bread so I dont think it is 'wild' and may come from Leasingham although it doesnt have any rings on its legs.
Terry
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Mon Dec 04, 2006
Still 7...
I saw 7 Dabcicks also today, however this is the first time in a week that I have seen all 7 in one pass. There does not appear to be any more Mink droppings in the Mill at the moment so hopefully they were just 'passing'. I really hope they dont return next spring when little ones will be around like they did this year.
Terry
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