Saturday 17 November 2018

Birding contrasts

Apologies once again for delays in posting - what with an amazing trip to India and catching up on things since getting back, it's been a bit busy!

I've not had too much time to get outside in good old Blighty recently, but one visit to Langford Lakes Reserve (just north of Salisbury on the A36) made me compare with the extraordinary wildlife I'd seen in India.

Although the primary goal was to see tigers (6 tigers and many, many photos later..), the birdlife was quite incredible. The bird list has not yet been totted up, but certainly over 70 species were seen. However, it wasn't so much the diversity, but the behaviour of several species that really got me thinking. In particular, the treepie - an extremely common corvid (crow), with the usual inquisitive nature you associate with that family. They are also extremely beautiful. It draws the inevitable comparison to our own magpie. How many of us stop and watch them and admire their gorgeous colours? It's interesting that a trip to faraway lands has made me stop and look at our commonest species back home.



And so it was at Langford Lakes - we took great delight in watching the various species of duck there. OK, it's not a tiger, but once you spend time watching something, you almost feel a part of its world. The lakes are known for their overwintering wildfowl, and now is the time for them to gather. We saw lots of gadwall (smart males with their black tails) and shoveler (strange beaks a little like the baleen plates of whales for feeding on microscopic life), but also many, many Canada geese and cormorants.

And it was Canada geese that beautifully caught the golden afternoon's light on another quick foray to Caen Hill Locks near Devizes last weekend. Although primarily visiting the amazing feat of engineering that are the many locks, the large noisy, groups of geese in the holding ponds couldn't help but attract attention. And although they're not native and are often a bit of a nuisance, you've got to admire their smart plumage and jostling antics.

So, when I'm out walking next, I'll be taking the time to stop and admire the commonplace. And to end this post, here's a tiger (wot I took).


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