Category Archives: 2008
Things were still bad…
Things were still bad today but at least a bit better than yesterday. The 2 Tuffties that are in the weir lock looked really bad yesterday, but today they seemed a bit better, I just hope they somehow either survive down there , or better still, find their way back to where the other 4 [...]
I went down again…
(See post below for more) I went down the Slea again to try and take some photographs as evidence to show the Environmental agency tomorrow, I managed to find two Dabchicks and this is the sorry state of one of them… …I believe it shows that something has stripped all its protective oils away because [...]
I hope this isnt the disater that it appears…
I hope this isn’t the disaster it appears… yesterday I said that a lot of Ducks etc were soaked, this morning the first thing Alan, Mel and I saw was an adult Dabchick swimming with just its neck and head above the water line, it tried to get on the bank but couldnt at that [...]
Soaked…
The Ducks etc were Soaked this morning, I know it rained in the night but it must have been VERY heavy rain, they were mostly drying off on the banks. I only saw one adult Dabchick who was with three babies, all of which were WET, I was a little worried about the forth baby [...]
Interesting day…
Interesting day, firstly Mum Tuffty was with her 7 ducklings I saw one adult Dabchick near New Street Bridge, I then saw another Adult near the Willow tree outside Quackers, then I saw another Adult with the 4 youngsters between Quackers and the Leisure Centre, but I didn’t know which two were mates or where [...]
No Mum today…
No Mum today for the little Tuffties, but all 7 youngsters were ok. I am not sure if Mum has left the youngsters or is just having a little ‘me’ time. In previous years Mum has left when the youngsters were a bit bigger than these ones so we will have to wait and see [...]
Another different day…
Another different day as I saw Spotted Fly Catcher and a Song Thrush having a bath, Mel said he saw Hedge Sparrow but it disappeared before I could get my ‘bins’ onto it. The Tuffties are still doing well The 2 adult Dabs were still by New Street bridge and our parents with the 4 [...]
There has been for some time…
There has been for some time a third adult Dabchick seen near Quackers Today just past New Street bridge I heard the unmistakable call of 2 Dabchicks calling each other, so today there were 4 adult Dabchicks on the Slea, these two and our pair with the 4 babies downstream of the Leisure Centre bridge [...]
Here are the Tuffties…
Here are the Tufted Ducks that Graham mentioned … now the puzzle ? 1. I think it is fairly obvious that these 7 ducklings are not just out of the nest and they are probably a few weeks old. 2. Grahams report of seeing these yesterday was the first day that any one has seen [...]
The Dabs are….
The Dabs are still doing ok, here they are today… …although you have to look quite hard you will see all four babies and the one on the right has a small fish that dad had just brought to him. Terry
I only saw two…
I only saw two of the baby Dabchicks today but mum was sitting on them keeping them warm so I didnt get a good view, Alan said that he saw 4 babies yesterday so I assume that eveything is ok Interestingly Alan also said he has seen THREE teenager Dabchicks between the Mill and Hub, [...]
I didn’t go down today…
I didn’t go down today because I went to the Rutland Water Birdwatching Fair, but Paul told me that yesterday he saw 5 baby Dabchicks, so the other 2 have hatched but today he could only see 4, so we may have lost one already, hope not but it looks like we have Terry
I have to assume…
I have to assume that the little Coot is no longer around I didnt see it again today but did see both adults. He/she was not big enough to look after itself so I think something must have got him/her So the curse of the Coots on the Slea seems to have struck again because [...]
Good news and also potentially bad news…
First the good news, 2 of the second brood of Dabchicks have hatched I saw them today as mum moved, but I only saw the 1 teenager downstream of the Mill, the other 2 were hopefully in the reeds somewhere. Now the potentially bad news, I saw both adult Coots, 1 near the Leisure Centre [...]
Another different day…
Another different day…. Although not a very good photo this is the first time I have personally see this on the Slea… … yes a Cormorant Here he is taking off from near the Mill but he had circled around for a few minutes before this. Also saw 6 (yes SIX) Dabchicks – our 2 [...]