Yesterday evening I decided to walk down and visit my local nature reserve, Smallbrook meadows. It was deadly silent and with its white covering it looked almost eerie, but at the same time completely magical.
Sadly my little lumix compact camera is not equipped with the capabilities for night time photography, and this image lit up by the street lamp was the only one I really managed to capture.
Snow covering is a great time to look for animal tracks, and I was eagerly peering down on the ground looking out for signs. I spotted this first, clearly a type of deer, walking along the side of the path. I would say perhaps roe or muntjac, but my track identification skills are rather poor!
Then I spotted an unusual trail down next to the stream. It clearly looked like something had pushed or slid its way through the snow, with the occasional mark that looked like a print. The trail led alongside the stream, then directly into the water. Could this be signs of otter?
I decided I would come back in the light of morning. Photography under torchlight is near impossible!
Early the next morning I set off again, camera ready, so I could capture some of the beauty of this reserve.
I headed into the reserve from the boating park, and walked along the boundary, popping down to have a look at the pond on the way. It was completely frozen and the only sound was the slight trickle of water from the nearby stream.
I continued on my journey, around the boundary of the reserve until I reached the small car park. I then headed into the car park and out onto the small trail onto the back of the reserve, where I walked down to the river Wylye. Along the way I was mesmorised by the song of the birds; great tits, coal tits and robins were among some that I saw. I did try to capture the little fellows on my camera, but it decided it wanted to focus on the foliage behind! (Note to self... SAVE FOR A DECENT CAMERA!)
I then went back the way I came, along the path and across the car park, and headed towards the dipping pond. I then made my way through to the woodland, eager to look out for the possible otter trail I had seen the night before, but when I got to the site I realised a dog had beaten me there and ruined the trail!
I continued on my way, still enjoying the sights and sounds of this reserve under its white blanket. As I walked along the River Were, back towards the boating park, I startled a little egret on the waters edge, as it flew off it settled just out of sight further upstream. I got my camera ready and tried to sneak closer, but as soon as it came into view it took flight and disappeared into the distance.
As I approached the boating park I realised it was alive with activity, coots and moorhens were chasing each other, sliding around on the ice, a heron was keeping a watchful eye on the children on their sledges, mallards, swans and geese all paddled around in the only unfrozen part of the lake, swimming up to anyone that approached in hope of bread scraps. I quickly got out my camera and took a few snaps.
As part of my wild to do list, brush up on bird identification was one of those to do, so on returning from my walk I researched the birds I had seen, here is a list of those I managed to identify on my journey.
Birds Identified: Coal Tit, Great Tit, Robin, House Sparrow, Blackbird, Pigeon, Magpie, Mute Swan, Canadian goose, Mallard, Heron, Little Egret, Black-Headed gull, Coot, Moorhen.
Map of Smallbrook Meadows:
Sadly my little lumix compact camera is not equipped with the capabilities for night time photography, and this image lit up by the street lamp was the only one I really managed to capture.
Snow covering is a great time to look for animal tracks, and I was eagerly peering down on the ground looking out for signs. I spotted this first, clearly a type of deer, walking along the side of the path. I would say perhaps roe or muntjac, but my track identification skills are rather poor!
Then I spotted an unusual trail down next to the stream. It clearly looked like something had pushed or slid its way through the snow, with the occasional mark that looked like a print. The trail led alongside the stream, then directly into the water. Could this be signs of otter?
Slight footprint left in snow
Trail leading into the stream
I decided I would come back in the light of morning. Photography under torchlight is near impossible!
Early the next morning I set off again, camera ready, so I could capture some of the beauty of this reserve.
I headed into the reserve from the boating park, and walked along the boundary, popping down to have a look at the pond on the way. It was completely frozen and the only sound was the slight trickle of water from the nearby stream.
I continued on my journey, around the boundary of the reserve until I reached the small car park. I then headed into the car park and out onto the small trail onto the back of the reserve, where I walked down to the river Wylye. Along the way I was mesmorised by the song of the birds; great tits, coal tits and robins were among some that I saw. I did try to capture the little fellows on my camera, but it decided it wanted to focus on the foliage behind! (Note to self... SAVE FOR A DECENT CAMERA!)
I then went back the way I came, along the path and across the car park, and headed towards the dipping pond. I then made my way through to the woodland, eager to look out for the possible otter trail I had seen the night before, but when I got to the site I realised a dog had beaten me there and ruined the trail!
I continued on my way, still enjoying the sights and sounds of this reserve under its white blanket. As I walked along the River Were, back towards the boating park, I startled a little egret on the waters edge, as it flew off it settled just out of sight further upstream. I got my camera ready and tried to sneak closer, but as soon as it came into view it took flight and disappeared into the distance.
As I approached the boating park I realised it was alive with activity, coots and moorhens were chasing each other, sliding around on the ice, a heron was keeping a watchful eye on the children on their sledges, mallards, swans and geese all paddled around in the only unfrozen part of the lake, swimming up to anyone that approached in hope of bread scraps. I quickly got out my camera and took a few snaps.
As part of my wild to do list, brush up on bird identification was one of those to do, so on returning from my walk I researched the birds I had seen, here is a list of those I managed to identify on my journey.
Birds Identified: Coal Tit, Great Tit, Robin, House Sparrow, Blackbird, Pigeon, Magpie, Mute Swan, Canadian goose, Mallard, Heron, Little Egret, Black-Headed gull, Coot, Moorhen.
Map of Smallbrook Meadows:
