4 ponies were round the corral, in the shade. Hoopy licking the salt, she did have more flies on her than the others. Bottom trough full.
There was a tiny red mite, like a drop of blood, by Kat or Flam's left eye. She was blinking a lot and by the time I photographed her it had gone.
As I mentioned earlier, we'll be away for the next 2 Wednesdays.
Another gorgeous day on the Hill. There was a loud screeching coming from the top of hill, towards the top gate but in the shrubs further down. Merlin was unable (or unwilling) to identify and as I got closer it went silent, pheasant maybe? The ponies were by the top gate, munching away, and looking really well. The flies were really picking on Hoopy and she had loads on her face, she seemed quite resigned to it.
The ponies were hiding between the road and the top path. The troughs were full. No issues noted.
A beautiful day on the hill. Spotted the ponies galloping down the hill to the water trough.
By luck, as I was completing section 5 of today's butterfly transect, bumped into the ponies. They were having a fun time eating away, slowly moving down the main path towards the water trough. They were looking good, starting to get bothered by flies already, but otherwise good. Only Flam stopped munching to say hello. And it's good to see that the spot on Doune's right hand side is visible again, which makes identification much much easier.
On arrival there was a horrendous wailing noise, which I'm hoping was a crow baby desperate for food!
4 ponies were near the bottom trough, grazing and browsing. They all looked fine, trough beginning to go green, as one would expect. Didn't check the top trough. Crows very active round their nests.
Nice day on the Hill, sunny, cloudy, sunny, cloudy, sunny...etc. Again the ponies were only a short way up the main path, a little spread out down the hill, but working their way towards each other. Flam was super friendly and came rushing over to say Hello, not so much Doune, Hoopy huffed at me, and Kat give me a playful nip. But they were all looking great.
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| nothing wrong with Hoopy's bladder! |
The troughs were full. No ponies were seen today. A dog walker was seen at the top of the site and on seeing me he picked his dog up and climbed back over the gate. I didn’t think I was that scary.
A bright sunny but fairly chilly morning on the hill. Ponies were just rousing as I arrived and soon Flam and Hoopy had a kicking contest over a patch of grazing!
Lovely day on the Hill, with the ponies at the top of the site. Kat was eating on one side of the path and Hoopy on the other, with Flam and Doune having just woken up. In fact I arrived in time to witness their morning dust baths, rolling in the dust, before shaking off a cloud of acquired dust. Very cute! They were all looking really well, despite a bit of yawning from Flam.
I also had a Kite unerringly hovering not that far above my head, until it decided perhaps I was a little big to eat. Phew! And on the way back down to the main gate, spotted a small roundish brown creature in the bushes, which skipped away very agilely when it saw me. I'm thinking baby muntjac, as it was capybara size, but much more agile. Lots of 'whites' along the top path, but all fluttering away madly, so only managed to positively id one green-veined.
Sunshine, and the ponies were at the eastern end by the gate. No interest in my arrival until I took out a plastic bag to collect a discarded bottle, and they were very keen to find out what was going on. They all looked fine, inc Hoopy. Water levels good - the western trough looks a lot cleaner than of late.
No kites this week, but a buzzard was circling, and a common whitethroat singing near the top track. Nice peacock butterfly too.
4 ponies were on and near the track a couple of hundred meters from the bottom gate. All looking well, browsing hawthorn and grazing. Bottom trough nice and clean, full. Picked some litter, one plastic bottle in the reserve but mainly on the roadside by the gate.
Posh new sign and poster frame boxes by the entrance.
Humid day on the Hill, with a rather pungent odour from the water treatment plant, but non-the-less a lovely day for a wander. Not many butterflies around yet, a couple of small (little) whites and a peacock. Found the ponies up the top end of the site, on the fringes of the scrubby section, enjoying picking at the lovely new buds and leaves on the bushes and trees. They all looked in good shape and were pretty relaxed. Also looks like the recent rain has kickstarted the emergence of the cowslips, already looks like an improvement on last year, so hopefully all our planting and recording efforts will be rewarded.
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| Kat looking 'shifty' |
The four ponies were at the top of the site. The troughs were full. No issues noted.
Lovely morning, and there they were, a short way down from the corral. They were happily munching away and looked pretty content. They all looked well, and Hoopy's 139 is now showing really clearly 😊.
Grey morning at first, but the sun soon put his hat on. Ponies all by the top (E) gate, looking quite sleepy. Despite that, they all looked fine, and Hoopy does indeed look a lot better. Troughs all fine.
Lots of blackcaps singing and a probable garden warbler (impossible to see) near the clump along the top path. All very springy.
4 ponies were on the track just up from the main gate. All looking well. Hoopy's coat much better. The 'beehive' is a bit broken.
Both troughs were full, it was a nice walk up to the top not searching for the ponies. A bench somewhere would be much appreciated.
It seems a shame that the only public access is through the bottom gate. It stops the round walk, up the reserve, over Morestead Rd. and back via the footpath to the Dongas.
We're away in Scotland in May and won't be able to check the ponies on 7th or 14th
Stumbled upon Hoopy as I was taking the latest in my photo project, whilst also noting the lake is pretty much dry now. Hoopy was looking much better and seemed very hungry, but there was no sign of the others. Hoopy was close to the main path about 100 metres up from the main gate. I knew the others would be close, so wandered along, then down, but nothing, and by the time I'd done a circuit Hoopy had moved to the top section close to the road, and lo and behold there were the others slightly spread out, but all looking well. Hoopy's moulting is meaning her 'tattoo' is starting to show through, so no excuses confusing her with the others.
NOTE - if you notice a strange motorbike. On the way out, Steve arrived to do a reptile survey, but unfortunately had a mishap with his motorbike, so had to help him rescue it and it's now stored by the main gate (it wouldn't restart), hopefully out of the way. Gave him a lift back to Eastleigh, so he can arrange to get it fixed or recovered (don't think it's anything serious). He was telling me about the reptiles we get and don't get at Deacon, fascinating.
Whilst on site doing a butterfly transect walk/survey checked in on the ponies. They were about 1/3 of the way along the main path, looking a little shocked to see me. Hoopy was looking a lot better, and was even friendly, so she must be feeling better. Other than that, all seemed in good shape and happy eating away.
Beautiful morning. All 4 ponies were close to the far (E) trough, mostly munching their way through the new hawthorn sprigs. They all looked fine, inc Hoopy, who was eating well:
Both troughs were OK.
Fiona and her work party arrived while I was there.
Dongas bird report for the day:
One great egret on the diminishing Southern Water pond when I arrived, but it didn't stay long (no surprise).
Pair of red kites enjoying the updraughts:
And a forceful blackcap singing invisibly near the corral.
Brimstones around, too plus this peacock.
It is spring.
4 ponies were near the top gate. Hoopy's skin condition seems to be improving with the treatment. They all looked fine. Both troughs full.
As I arrived the ponies were playing poker using acorns as money and the buzzards were serving them martinis. Hmmm. Lovely day with Deacon Hill looking glorious in the spring sunshine, and the ponies were a little way down from the top gate and near the fence line. Munching and walking and concentrating really hard. Doune was pretty stroppy, but no-one else really paid any interest.
Had a little wander around and saw a pair of kestrels possibly nesting or getting ready to nest?? And a couple of Buzzards using the heat and brisk wind of the valley to soar over the hill.
