Life On The Slea (LOTS) » 2007

We had a visitor on Monday…

admin — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 12:33:01 +0000

We had a visitor on Monday, well at least it was seen on Monday but I didn’t see it today, so I am assuming it has gone. It was a Coot, nothing very exciting but it is the first Coot on this part of the Slea since late Summer.

There were 5 Dabchicks between Hub and the Mill but I didn’t see any past the Mill today, so I am still unsure if any of them move between above and below the weir at the Mill or not. I did not see our Lone Duckling today either, so I will look very closely the next time I go down, hoping that he is ok.

I do see the Kingfisher(s) fairly often but it is normally just a quick flash of blue going by, but almost exactly a year ago I could get much closer to them like this (taken last year)…

Terry

We still have at least…

admin — Sun, 30 Dec 2007 13:23:17 +0000

We still have at least 6 Dabchicks, 4 between the Hub and Cogglesford Mill and 2 just past the Mill, I didnt go further downstream today to see if there were any more past the railway bridge.

I fed ‘one eye’, ‘stiff legs’ and our lone duckling, but he is getting harder to spot each day as he is about 3/4 the size of an adult duck now. He does have a mark on his beak so I am really hoping that this will enable me to still recognise him well into the future

Here are 2 Mallards coming into land with the Mill in the background…

Terry

Last March I used to…

admin — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 10:28:44 +0000

Last March I used to feed this Blackbird…

…I hadn’t seen him since then but in the last few days he has appeared again So I am not sure if he went away somewhere or just didn’t need any supplementary food, but its good so see him back and it just shows that even with a leg/foot problem that he has, he can still survive.

Only saw 3 dabchicks today but I did feed our lone Duckling, ‘one eye’ and ‘stiff legs’

Terry

Not a very Merry Christmas for…

admin — Sun, 23 Dec 2007 16:06:55 +0000

Not a very Merry Christmas for the dead duck near the Hub on Friday. She looked only recently killed and laid on the bank where the ducks come out of the water, so the most likely reason to my mind is that a dog which was not under control attacked and killed it, I have no proof but to me that is the most likely reason. You cannot blame the dog ONLY the OWNER as it is him/her that should have the dog under control at ALL times. Its quite sad to think that this duck probably lost her one and only life because of the negligence of a dog owner

I didn’t see that much today but the Moorhens are definitely getting more aggressive as they strive to gain or hold a territory for mating in the spring…

Terry

The Heron let me get quite near today…

admin — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 15:00:19 +0000

The Heron let me get quite near today near the Mill…

… 3 Dabchicks were downstream of the Mill and 3 upstream I saw at least 2 Kingfishers and possible 3 but the ‘third’ might well have been one of the others again.

Terry

Today was a little different…

admin — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 13:22:04 +0000

Today was a little different, only 1 Dabchick seen downstream of Cogglesford Mill but 4 seen between the Mill and the Hub, but I did see at least 2 Kingfishers, Kestrel and Green Woodpecker, all dowstream of the Mill

He is a Grey Wagtail near the Hub yesterday…

Terry

Blackie with berries…

admin — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 12:59:37 +0000

Blackie with berries…

…I saw 7 Dabchicks today, 2 past the Mill, 2 past the railway bridge and 3 between the Mill and Hub, but I am still unsure exactly how many we have in total. Our lone duckling is still ok and I saw the Kingfisher and Heron today also.

Terry

There maybe 9…

admin — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 13:44:55 +0000

There maybe 9 Dabchicks on the Slea now ? You may remember that there were 3 Dabchicks the other side of the railway bridge past Cogglesford Mill. Today there were 4 at intervals along the Slea between the Mill and just past the railway bridge, 3 of these didn’t seem that worried about us as we walked past, unlike when we saw the 3 the first time, so I am unsure if the same 3 are around or not ? I also saw 4 Dabchicks between the Mill and the Hub where there are normally 5, so did I miss one or has one ventured downstream, I am unsure but will try and fathom out what has happened over the next few days.

I also saw our lone duckling so he is still doing well, and a Kingfisher. Here is one of the Moorhens this morning…

Terry

I had quite a close encounter with…

admin — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 12:06:33 +0000

I had quite a close encounter with a Heron today, just past the Mill…

…it was in the river and I disturbed it, normally it would fly away, but today it just flew a few further yards away and landed again. I didnt want to disturb him more than necessary so I left him to fish on his own. I think the cold night and short days means that he was hungry and therefore a little less shy than normal.

Lollycocks pond was just about frozen over this morning and I also saw our lone duckling who is getting big enough to not be easily spotted, so it won’t belong before he just blends in with all the others.

Terry

The weather has not been very good…

admin — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 08:24:42 +0000

The weather has not been very good so it has reduced my Slea wanderings lately. However yesterday I did see our lone Duckling and about 3 Dabchicks, I assume the others are still around and they were probably in hiding, I have not seen the swans for a few days either but they come and go anyway. ‘One Eye’ was still up at Cogglesford and ‘Stiff legs’ is near the Hub, but I have not managed to get beyond the railway bridge (past Cogglesford) to see if the other 3 Dabchicks are still there.

No new photographs so here is a Dunnock from earlier in the year…

Terry