Rarities in Warwick

Over the hard winter many species not normally found in Warwick have appeared.
Along the river at the Castle and at the Saxon Mill, Goosander, Wigeon, Teal and Pochard have been seen.

At Aylesford School a Little Egret has been showing well and in the past week one of my favourite winter birds the Waxwing have appeared around Chase Meadows.

Foxes Again

Following on from Junes Rabbits I have an update on the Foxes. After seeing them all over Easter the Fox Cubs seemed to disappear in the last couple of weeks however they have returned. Last weekend on my way back from birdwatching I saw this youngster lying in the field catching some late autumn sun.

Rabbits

Earlier in the day I went up to Priory Park and photographed the young Rabbits and their parents.

Foxes

Today I was lucky enough to see the foxes again. I used my Telescope to record this short video clip:

Aquatic Life

I spent this morning having a little dip in the river and backwater at the Saxon Mill. I recorded Water Boatmen, Minnow Fry, freshwater Shrimp, Cyclops, Water Slaters, Snails, Tadpoles, Water Beetles, Midge larvae and Dun Fly larvae.

Mice !!!

Our garden shed is home it seems to a little mouse - or more likely a family. There used to be a Wood Mouse about but I think this fella is a House Mouse. (Fatter face and little white on underbelly). I managed to catch him on one of his shuttle runs between shed door and spilled seed from the bird table.
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New cygnets on the river and very possibly a casualty.

On Saturday I went out to check on the other swans still nesting in Warwick. The ones on the Canal have already hatched but I had yet to check on the Avon ones.

I went down first to Mill Street to check on ALA and AUD. There was no sign of them but I did get to watch a heron fishing.


From there I went into the Park and found ALA by the ferry crossing . He Was alone but a man told me that he had seen him with his mate and 6 cygnets the other day.
Further up by the sea scout hut I found ZTG and ARK they had nested in Kingfisher Pools and had obviously brought their two cygnets over to the river. Whilst they were on the river a body of a cygnet floated down river. ARK and the cygnets took a lot of interest in the dead body before it floated off.



Worried that the cygnet was one of the six of AUD I headed up river going as far as the Potterton's Bridge looking for them but to no avail. All I saw was a lone untagged adult. I am guessing that AUD has taken the cygnets further upriver perhaps as far as the weirs and lost one of the cygnets there.