Shustoke Reservoir.

Now I'm back to having proper footwear again for traipsing around farmers fields and the like, I though it was about time I visited Shustoke again for the first time in exactly seven weeks. Today's walk consisted of a walk around the reservoir, through the meadow field, along a section of the train line, Colin Teall wood, the fly fisher's pool and through several farmers fields. Unfortunately the meadow field isn't that anymore because the farmer has completely mown everything down within sight, where seven weeks ago it was alive with many wild flowers and colours, now it's just a huge field if badly cut grass, on the edges of the field by the other side of the river which has remained untouched there was plenty of activity including many Tits, a flock of forty plus Goldfinch foraging amongst the nettles and many corvids. Sadly in this same area I found a dead Woodpigeon which only looked a couple of weeks old, the poor thing had obviously never even flown and was at the bottom of some very high pine tree so maybe some high winds had blown it out of the tree, it's a shame whatever happened. Also in the same area were a lot of Rabbits, unfortunately all of them had Myxomatosis which sadly means they will die within fourteen days of contracting the disease, I did initially think it was strange I could get so close to them without them running away but obviously they couldn't see me.

Birds spotted today were, Buzzard, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Blackcap (male), Willow Warbler, Goldfinch, Chaffinch, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Wren, Robin, House Martin, Swallow, Swift, Blackbird, Carrion, Crow, Woodpigeon, Pied Wagtail, Grey Heron, Cormorant, Mute Swan, Shoveler, Little Grebe, Great Crested Grebe, Coot, Tufted Duck, Mallard, Canada Goose as well as the following juveniles, Bullfinch, Blackbird (with it's male colourings coming through), Woodpigeon, Cygnet (4), Great Crested Grebe (2) and Grey Heron (1).
   
The Shoveler I saw was a curious thing because it wasn't really a Shoveler, the body was definitely that of a female Mallard while the beak was the unmistakable beak of a Shoveler, so it must have been a hybrid, so it was but it wasn't a Shoveler if you know what I mean. Obviously it was also great to see some funky little Bullfinch juveniles again, they were flitting about a tree with the male Blackcap for company. There must also have been at least fifty Great Crested Grebe and thirty odd Little Grebe on the reservoir today which is always nice to see. There was also plenty Cormorant about as well, certainly upwards of fifty, there were twenty three alone drying out their wings by the Shustoke Sailing Club, as well as a constant stream flying back and forth between the reservoir and Coleshill Quarry. The Funghi in the last picture was a right monster, as you can see I put my foot in the photo for comparison, it was a good foot and a half long, I don't know how but I missed it on the way to the reservoir but thankfully I noticed it on the way back.

While walking through the supposed meadow field I met and had a chat with a very friendly man metal detecting who told me about the damage Green Waste is doing to the countryside and the wildlife and informed me about a petition to sign to get the practice banned, here is the link if you're interested in signing it. Ban Green Waste petition.