More cold around Alton

 Bracket funghi on Horse Chestnut in Chawton...

Wild Carrot in the frost...

A buzzard hunched on a fence in the mist.

Signs of the sun trying to break through the fog...

Wild Roses...

 It may be just the 10 January but spring is starting...

 

Early January in Alton

The cold, murky weather and lack of sun has not been ideal for photography. However at least it hasn't been raining. Living in Alton, I have always felt so lucky to have such a variety of interesting and under-watched sites so close. For many years my focus has been on doing nature-on-foot-and-by-bike. All of the photos shown here are taken from walks or cycle rides from home without using the car at all.

Grey Wagtails have been regular at Alton Flood Meadows - but so dark and murky under the trees it was difficult to get a sharp shot. No sign of Water Rails there yet this winter - when present they tend to be most visible on a proper hard freeze. 

Kingfishers have been seen at the Flood Meadows, Kings Pond, and along the Wey

Its been a good winter locally for wintering Stonechats - particularly on the Upper Greensand. Numbers had dropped off significantly after the run of very cold winters we had a few years ago but have now recovered. They like rough field edges and hedges. But this one had found a good supply of insects on a dung heap - along with Pied Wagtails and Meadow Pipits.

A very distant view of a Peregrine on a pylon in the murk. 

New Year's Day 2021

My customary New Year's Day walk from home via Chawton and Farringdon and back via King's Pond revealed a total of 56 species of bird. Nothing particularly unexpected but 4 species of gull were found - Black-headed, Lesser Black-Backed, Herring and Common Gulls.

This Winter Moth was in the Chawton subway 

The day was cold, grey and misty. The hoar frost persisted till beyond midday which created some interesting shapes on the various seed-heads.

Umbellifers...

Dock...

Old Man's Beard...

Teasels...

And grasses such as this which I think is Tufted Hair Grass

Shalden, December 24 2020.

 A walk from Alton up to Shalden on the chalk.

This robin was a seasonal sight for Christmas eve.

This male kestrel was quietly hunting from the low branches of a tree

Roe Deer checking me out...

... and relax.

Autumn into winter near Alton 2020

Some photos from autumn and early winter wanderings

Yellow Stagshorn fungus in Chawton Park wood. On a tree stump among beech trees - yet the species is supposed to be a specialist on the dead wood of conifers. That is probably precisely what it is growing on. The beech trees here were often planted with "protective" conifers planted at the same time. As the trees grew taller - the conifers were cleared leaving just the beech trees.

This female Mandarin duck was on the pond at Chawton Park Farm

On a grey day at the end of November at Longmoor, there were still small insects flying about this Stonechat...

... while a few Crossbills were seemingly already paired up. They are known to be very early breeders. This pair were unusually low down in birch - which makes a change from their usual home at the top of tall conifers. The male is the red bird. Note the cross-over beaks - an adaptation for extracting seeds from cones. Crossbill numbers vary from year to year with some breeding locally - they can potentially be found in any wood with conifers. Best thing to do is try to learn the distinctive calls - they can be noisy birds especially when they take off as a flock.

A Grey Heron along the Wey on a rare sunny day

Egyptian Geese are increasingly common locally. Like Canada Goose it is an introduced species. There is now a particular concentration at Heath Pond, Petersfield - more than 100 at times. But they can be found elsewhere too. They have bred at East Worldham, for example. This one was a long way from water close to the Selborne Road in Alton. 

KIngs Pond November and December 2020

 It's been an interesting couple of months on the pond. 

We have had exceptional numbers of Canada Geese for this time of year - up to 35. In recent years they have always disappeared from late October to the end of December or early January. There are a couple of this year's birds with damaged wings which clearly have been unable to fly - perhaps these have encouraged the others to remain with them.

A Great Crested Grebe appeared on Oct 24 and remained for a couple of weeks

There have been two little grebes - one of which is in near Summer Plumage...

Up to 28 Coot...

Up to 42 Moorhen...

4 different species of gulls. Lesser-black backed gulls have visited the pond all year, typically brief visits to wash. 

Herring Gulls are normally no more than occasional in the Alton area. However this December there have been a significant number locally. 20 or more have been seen flying along the Wey, with 51 in a field near Farringdon. An adult was on the roof of the brewery on 28 December. They occasionally visit the pond with 5 there on 1 November. Something interesting must be flying over given the angle of the head of the left-most bird.

Black-headed Gulls are the commonest birds there - with up to 100 to be found. However around christmas numbers have been much lower for some reason.

Common Gulls are decidedly uncommon locally - but may be found in hundreds in fields to the west of Alton - they use Alresford pond to wash and loaf before roosting on the coast. However on 12 December six of them visited the pond.

Herons have already started showing interest in the nests - they are very early nesters.