March Picture Of The Month

Plock Court - February 2018

My usual picture of the month feature posting one of my favourite images from my travels. As it's March and St Davids Day intended posting the image of the Rock Thrush taken above Abergavenny, but it appears I've done that one !

This image of a Penduline Tit was taken early last year 2018, I must say it dose seem much longer than that. after four unsuccessful visits at Plock Court Nature Area in Gloucester. You can read about the encounter if you look down the index on the right hand side and looking for Penduline Tit.

Normally I spend most of my time in Greater Manchester area and wouldn't normally be hurtling around the country "twitching" a bird four times, those days are long gone, but Plock Court is only about twenty miles from the FOD so its an easy trip for me when down.

This was an odd location for this bird to turn up on a small reed fringed pond no bigger than twenty square meters, you could literally walk around it in three minuets. Also the second time in two years a Penduline Tit had over wintered in the area the last time only two miles further down the road at Horsbere Over Flow Area.

On occasions the bird would disappear for a day or so only to reappear so it's likely it was visiting a similar location, if anyone know the area on the other side of the dual carriageway.

Penduline Tit

Return to Plock

It's Saturday16th of December and I'm in the Forest of Dean enjoying a beer and up pops a news feed on the Mac that a male Penduline Tit has been found earlier that day on a small set aside nature area in Gloucester. A quick check of Google Maps and the bird is located about twenty miles away at Plock Court just off the ring road, amazingly it's only about half a mile from where I'd seen two male Penduline Tit's at the Horsbere Flood Alleviation area back in 2016.

Plock Court, a small residential housing development located on the edge of fields of a sports complex with in one corner a set aside nature area with two small ponds, oddly this small area is where this bird has decided to take up residence.

It's now the following day, Sunday, on arrival two birders have already located the Penduline Tit, but it's dark and grey and the theme for the rest of the day with rain forecast for later. I manage a couple of images of the bird that mainly remained in the hedge that boarders the reserve and the dual carriage way but not really quality I was after, to make matters worse I see some fantastic images posted of the bird over the next couple of days...hey ho!

With no prospect of improving conditions or better images, I decide to call it a day around midday.

Sunday 17th December 2017

It's now some two months on and after a couple of abortive attempts I back in the Forest of Dean with another much anticipated return to Plock Court Reserve. On my previous visit in January the area was completely flooded and in December dark and wet, so with a forecast of good light I'm optimistic for some decent images can be had.

Saturday 17th February 2018

Arriving at first light the carpark gate is locked and dosen't open until 8.0 am.....doh ! Making my way across the field to the larger of the two ponds a fellow birder has already picked up the bird, thats a good start and it's only 8.20 am. The bird remains low in the reed bed only making brief appearances, then the bird fly's to a small bush next to the pond, I manage a couple of images, then fly's off in the direction of the Premier Inn.

There must now be twenty to thirty birders and togs all stood next to the small ponds and I'm sure the bird knows this, I hang around until mid day and with no sign of the bird reappearing I decide to pack it in and try another day.

Click image to view

Saturday 17th February 2018

Sunday 18th February 2018

With the disappointment of yesterday I'm keen to return but the weather forecast for Sunday is cloud and light drizzle. Saturday night the weather forecast has now changed to just cloud, weather forecasters....hopeless, I decide to go for it.

Arriving at 8.0 am, quick learner ! I'm the only person on site, Long Tailed Tits and the resident Stonechat keep me occupied, a group of Redwings feed on the grass close by, but it's back to the task in hand. The conditions are cloudy but ok with the occasional appearance of the sun breaking through the cloud, then...the bird is located in the small reed bed on the right of the large pond feeding low down in the reed bed making it almost impossible to get clear a shot.

Over the next two hours it's a case of waiting for the opportunity to get a clear shot, some times the bird stays low in the reeds, at other times it's perched in that classic shot on top of the reed mace head but always hard to get a uncluttered shot with the tangle mass of exploding wool like mace heads either side of the bird.

Now 10.30 am and with only three birders on site we have all managed to get some clear shots of the Penduline Tit, clearly you will have more success when there aren't so may people present and probably why the bird departed on Saturday.

Happy I may have some decent images I call it a day. I believe my wife has some shopping planned for this afternoon, I'm looking forward to that !