#grey is based off of a grey crested tit | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

yourdeepestfathoms · 4 years ago

Text

Put Your Head On My Shoulder

[Wing AU; Tour!Verse]

Wing Chart

I did another art-writing trade with @spooner7308!!! They once again requested EB and Tour!Joan content for the wing au, so here it is! I think their dynamic is great

Also art-writing trades are open if anyone is interested! Just DM me!

Also also for legal reasons Jane is Lauren!Jane, not Carly!Jane, because Carly!Jane would NEVER. Though, if Jane really did what happens in this fic is up to interpretation hehe

Word count: 4880

TW: Blood, discussion of torture

-----------------------------

The frantic knocking at the front door roused EB from her half-dazed reverie on the couch. She peeled one of her large wings away from her face and squinted through the dim lamplight; she really had to change the light bulb one of these days. She should treat the electrical items in her house like she does with the ones at the theater, right? But there was no real motivation for her own personal things…

More knocking. EB grunted in annoyance, hoping it would just go away. It was probably some stupid solicitors trying to get her to buy some cable program or something dumb like that. Don’t they know not to wander into a vulture’s nest? She wondered if she could flash them to get them to go away and never come back… No, no. That would just throw her back in prison, and who wants to go down with public indecency due to nude tits and bare ass on their permanent record? It was already hard enough to get her current job as is. And that was very un-metal of her.

The knocking continued, and now it just sounded like someone was trying to bust her door down. She growled. How good could this fucking cable be? Unless it had free porn, she did NOT want to hear it.

But the salesavian apparently didn’t take the hint because they kept trying to break her fucking front door, and EB finally threw herself up with a roared, “ALRIGHT!!”

Stomping to the entrance of her small, dingy apartment, EB flung open the door and was nearly rapped on the chest by the person standing outside. She flared her wings and crest feathers, fluffing them up to look bigger, and snarled, “What the FUCK do you w--”

And then the words died off.

Because it wasn’t some degenerate annoyance trying to sell her shitty cable at all, but a small, stick-thin hybrid that would never in a million years be able to go door-to-door selling useless crap people.

And there was something attached to her head.

It almost looked like a diver helmet and bear trap were fused together. Two thick iron jaws were clamped firmly over her mouth, attached to a series of metal clasps and straps and hinges that branched out over the sides of her head, anchoring the thing to her skull. It looked heavy and very uncomfortable, and EB could see chipped and frayed pieces digging into the hybrid’s sensitive flesh. It was brown from age, rusted and pockmarked in dents and scratches, practically crawling with tetanus.

With a jolt, EB realized it was a jaw trap, and it was Joan beneath its abrasive metal grasp.

The jaw trap was never used on EB personally while she was being tortured before her execution. At the time, there had been only one existing in London, and it was mainly used for show, getting its own pedestal and everything like it was the king’s fucking crown. No, instead she owed her tortured pleasure to the end of fat dove fingers, which ripped out handfuls of her feathers until it looked like she was infected with Drop Feather Fever. And for a dove, a supposed “holy figure”, he was fucking BRUTAL and MEAN. She also got to get a taste of the merciless brutality of a tail chopper, which severed the bone, muscle, and tendons of her tail before she could even have another fucking vision--and her tail hasn’t even recovered from THAT experience, and it’s been over FIVE HUNDRED FUCKING YEARS!! And then there was also the whipping of the base of her wings, pulling out her talons, that one time they attempted to set her crest feathers in fire… God, she was starting to fall back into the darkness of those memories again.

Joan sniffled, and EB shook off the black vines trying to crawl through her heart and mind. Big, tear-filled grey eyes stared up at her, filled with so much terror and pain and distress. Joan looked absolutely shaken, like she was about to faint at any moment from pure horror.

EB grabbed her by the arm and dragged her inside.

Was her apartment too dirty? There were definitely some cans on the floor and it smelled a lot like cigarette smoke. Didn’t Vespers have heightened smell? Or was that the Hydras? Wait, Joan was crossed with both-- Shit, what if the smell suffocated her or something?! Could that happen? Joan whimpered, bringing EB back to awareness once again. She sat the young hybrid down on the couch and retrieved her tools from her bedroom (what? she’s a technician! might as well have some on hand! now if she could just change that light bulb…).

“Hey, hey,” EB said when she heard Joan whimper again, and she was surprised at how soft her voice came out. “It’s going to be okay. I’m going to get you out of that thing.”

She knew how dangerous jaw traps could be. Even though she hadn’t been around to ever see one be used, she did her research on the things that happened after she died. She read about the awful things Mary had done. The way she put the traps on hybrids, the Flightless, and even Vespers simply for existing and because she didn’t like them. How she would have them sprung for the stupidest reasons, ripping the jaw off or crushing the skull or tearing the face of innocent people because they disagreed with the things she said. And then what Jane did with her four hybrids…

Rage simmered in EB’s veins, but she did her best to cool it for now. She could get her revenge when Joan was not at risk of losing her entire fucking mouth.

EB brandished a screwdriver and began looking for a give, but there didn’t appear to be any gives on the jaw trap. It was made of very specific metal riggings and hinges and springs, which were attached with even more specific clasps and latches. It wasn’t like any normal device that she could just take apart.

This was going to be a lot harder than she thought.

EB gently twisted Joan’s head with her hands and began searching for a weak part of the jaw trap. The back had several hunks of metal attached to it, dozens of locks and joints that looked very uncomfortable to have dug into the head. She tugged on one lightly and the entire trap creaked dangerously. Joan let out a muffled scream and burst into tears.

“Hey, hey, hey,” EB quickly swerved back in front of her. Glistening droplets ran into the grooves of the metal jaws clamped around her mouth; EB wondered if it was so rusted because of the tears of the victims who had to wear it. “You’re going to be okay. I’m going to get you out.”

Joan sobbed again. Her breathing picked up, raspy and muffled through her nose because she couldn’t gasp out of her firmly closed mouth. Her eyes were wide and manic, like she was already seeing her own bloody demise playing out to her, and EB began to wonder if she had visions, too…

But EB would not let the hybrid die. Not ever.

“You’re going to be okay.” EB said firmly, but her voice still had a certain softness to it that was able to grab Joan’s attention. The hybrid looked up at her with so much desperation in her shiny eyes. “I won’t let you get hurt.”

Joan sniffled and nodded. Her panic attack had yet to be tamed, but at least she didn’t look like she was visualizing her own jaw being ripped off anymore. EB considered that a win for now.

“Turn your head for me, love,” EB said, and the pet name slipped out without her even thinking it through. Joan obeyed, tensing when the jaw trap jangled when her head moved. “Now sit still for me. Yeah, just like that. Good girl.”

With careful claws, EB began analyzing the back rigging of the jaw trap with a surgeon’s eye. She poked and prodded pieces of the contraption with the gentleness of someone holding an extinct bird egg, knowing the risk if her talons slipped for only a moment.

There were two thick circular seals attached to either sides of the jaws, which seemed to be holding them closed. They were connected by taut wire rope that fastened onto the back, too tough to cut through with her claws, but maybe some bolt cutters or pliers could do the trick…

“Okay, hold still for me,” EB said, pulling a pair of pliers from her tool box.

Joan began screaming, startling EB and nearly making her stab her in the temple.

“What?” EB yelped.

Joan shook her head wildly, and EB had to grab her by the ears to get her to stop from hurting herself further. She screwed her eyes shut, crying harder, and made distressed noises that sounded like she was saying “no.” Upon closer inspection, EB realized her panic when she saw that the wires were tightened into their straightness by a gear--and her knowledge in tech told her that if she were to cut them without unlocking the seal, the trap would spring.

“Shit,” EB muttered.

Joan whimpered. Her wings, shaking so badly they may just shudder right off of her back, pulled close around her like she thought they could protect her. EB’s heart ached at her despair and she wiped her thumb under one of her eyes, brushing away the tears.

“Joan, pup, look at me.” She said softly. She unfurled her wings around Joan, and the hybrid tried to curl into them like she craved their warmth. “I’m not going to let anything happen to you. I’m going to get you free, okay?”

Joan sniffled pitifully and nodded weakly.

EB returned her attention to the back of the trap. She looked closer, carefully poking her claws through the cracks and creases in the metal. She eventually saw a sprocket and fastener near the center, slightly obscured by springs and links. She could tell that it was the key to unlock the trap, and was probably hard to get to for a reason, so victims couldn’t just reach back and set themselves free.

“Okay, Joan,” EB said, peering in at the fastener. “Take deep breaths. You’re doing so good. I’m going to get you out.”

She reached in and tried to twist the fastener, but it was much too tight for her claws to loosen. Which also made sense. And also made her angrier because a victim wouldn’t ever be able to get the trap off if they were forgotten about.

She took the pliers and stuck them into the small gap, grasping the fastener with the jaws. She began turning it, loosening it slowly but surely, and the jaw trap creaked, then clicked. Joan cried out as the entire thing shuddered around her head, but EB could see that the wires were starting to lose some of their tightness.

“It’s okay, love,” EB said, brushing one of her wings against Joan’s arm comfortingly. “It’s almost off. Just keep breathing.”

Slowly, carefully, the seals and riggings went loose and the entire trap seemed to go slack around Joan’s head, allowing EB to pull it off of the terrified hybrid.

The first thing EB saw were the purple bruises bloomed across Joan’s cheeks and lower jaw from the tightness of the trap, then the nicks and cuts from the frayed metal, and then her mouth full of blood.

EB had read about how jaw traps were sometimes so tight that they damaged the jaws of the victim, causing nerve damage and bruising. There was also a plate that went into the mouth, sometimes cutting into the tongue and gums, which explained why Joan’s mouth was all bloody.

Rage boiled up again, like pus from an abscess. EB clenched her talons, driving the black claws into her palms. She released her fists before they could break skin and jumped up to retrieve a rag from the kitchen, which she wet with warm water. She swiped some painkillers from one of the cabinets as well, knowing that Joan had to have been in pain, even if she didn’t say it out loud.

When EB went back to the couch and brought the rag to Joan’s face, Joan flinched away with a whimper. Her eyes were glazed and haunted; she reminded EB of the way she used to be after she had first been reincarnated.

“Hey, hey,” EB gently brushed Joan with her wing. “It’s just me. It’s EB. I’m not going to hurt you.”

“E-EB?” Joan squeaked. Her voice was raspy and hoarse…as if she had worn it out from screaming.

The anger bubbled back up, burning hot, like molten lava trapped in a cauldron. She fought to keep it from showing on her face, knowing it would definitely startle the poor hybrid in front of her if she did.

Joan’s face crumpled and she began to openly cry. “I-I was so scared!” She choked out. “I-I thought I was--” She trailed off into the frantic wheezes and whimpers of a spiraling panic attack.

“Hey, shh,” EB wrapped her wings around Joan, and Joan sunk into them. She was tiny in comparison to the feathery appendages, and EB realized she was curled in them like a chick would in the wings on its mother…and that EB had her hooded like an actual mother hen would.

EB internally snorted. Her? Being a mother hen? That was about as likely as her changing the lightbulb in her lamp, which was definitely getting dimmer by the second. In fact, she would probably be THE WORST mother hen! Absolutely terrible! Would probably actually sit on a kid instead of just hooding them!

Wait, wasn’t it nesting season?

EB shook out her wings and Joan flinched. She quickly calmed her when she made a noise of distress.

“Sorry,” She said, rubbing the hybrid’s head with one hand. She used the other to wipe off the blood on Joan’s face with the rag, making sure to be careful over the tender bruises. When she finished, she gave Joan the painkiller pill, and then Joan promptly balled back up in her wings.

As EB held Joan, rubbing her back with one hand, keeping her protectively wrapped in her wings, she let the anger finally march through her veins like a colony of army ants.

How could someone do this to a kid? She could understand in a way why she had been tortured, she had a blasphemous vision, but Joan was so young. And all she was was a hybrid. She just looked a little strange, and yet people hated her like she was a devil loosed from hell.

A growl curled at the back of her throat, coming out sounding more like something a dog would make rather than a vulture. Her feathers stood on end as she cupped Joan’s face, made her look up at her, and whispered, “Who did this to you?”

Joan’s big yellow ears swiveled around like a searching radar, then pinned back flat against her head. She looked away, hugging her wings around her.

EB let out another growl. She couldn’t have expected Joan to give her an answer; no fault of the girl’s own, she was much too timid and anxious to spill information.

EB gently deposited Joan from her hold and stood up, becoming very aware of the empty, cold feeling that quickly infected her wings. She quickly shook them out, as if they were crawling with spiders, but the feeling didn’t go away. She scoffed. Must be stupid nesting season shit. Not that nesting season affected her. She was METAL and TOUGH. And metal and tough birds do NOT become mother hens!!

“I’ll be back,” EB said, thorns edging her words. She picked up the jaw trap and was surprised that the metal didn’t bend within her tight grasp.

“Wh-where are you going?” Joan asked, stammering over her words.

“To get revenge.” EB stated bluntly, striding for the door.

“P-please don’t leave me!”

That made EB falter. She stopped at the entrance to the apartment, the door half open, her wings spread and ready for flight.

“I’ll be back soon. Don’t worry.”

She hurried out. If she heard Joan’s reaction, then she wouldn’t be able to go on with her plans.

She hoped the little hybrid wouldn’t be mad.

Outside, EB leapt into the night sky and began flapping her way across the city. She pumped her wings furiously, soaring like a speeding jet through the stars. Her rage fueled her onwards, and she flew like--

(like that damn dove was on her tail feathers.)

Elizabeth grit her teeth through the pain. One by one, her brown feathers were plucked from her wings, leaving ugly bald patches and red marks across the tender pink flesh. She did her best not to whimper or whine, bit small noises of pain escaped her lips against her will.

“Oh, so now you’re quiet,” Chuckled the dove. He ran his claws over a handful of her feathers. His white wings were spattered in blood. “Maybe you should have kept your mouth shut about your fucking visions and you wouldn’t even be in this situation.” He flicked his wings and droplets of blood went flying. “Though, I guess I wouldn’t have gotten to have some fun with you right now. And I don’t expect a vulture to understand anything.” He raked his claws down Elizabeth’s left wing and laughed cruelly.

--like a demon was on her tail feathers. A demon. Not a dove.

EB shook her head and growled deep in her throat. She flew faster, beating her wings until her muscles burned with exertion.

(like how her back burned when the dove whipped her)

A cry of pain escaped Elizabeth’s lips when the whip came down on her bare back, slashing open a gouge down her tender flesh. Blood came pouring out, wet and hot and sticky down her spine. Her head spun- how many lashings has this been now? Five? Twenty? A hundred?

The dove’s laugh from behind her sounded like the cackle of a hyena.

“Still no new visions?” He asked. “I surely thought I could beat them out of you.” He leaned down in front of Elizabeth, and his face was dripping with her blood. “Come on, nun. Predict my future. Where am I gonna be in twenty years?”

“They don’t--work like that.” Elizabeth said through her teeth. The pain was sharp and radiating, burning like a wildfire through her back. Her wings were trembling violently and every shudder sent a new wave of torture vibrating through her nerves.

The dove laughed loudly, and Elizabeth winced. “Well, aren’t you tough?” He gave a gravelly chuckle and raised the whip again. “That won’t last much longer.”

“GET AWAY FROM ME!!” EB roared, wheeling around to swing her wings at something that wasn’t there. A sharp gust of wind caught her flight feathers and nearly sent her spiraling out of the sky. Sweat dripped down her face and she shook her head wildly, growling. With a whirl of brown and gold, she spun back around and continued her flight path.

She couldn’t remember the last time the memories of her past really came up. She was good at repressing them, beating them down into the darkest reaches of her memory so they could never come crawling back up. And if they did, she would fill her body with so much alcohol or smoke that her brain would drown in liquor and ash and become muddled enough to block out the memories on its own.

But she didn’t have time to drink or smoke or suppress anything. She just had to fly.

(because the dove had made sure she never would again back then)

Elizabeth glared at the dove as he curled around her. It was agony to stand, but she held herself as still as possible. The cuts along her back had broken open and were bleeding through her shirt.

“Tell me a vision, vulture.” The dove said.

Elizabeth growled, opened her mouth, then screamed.

The blade of the tail cutter sliced cleanly through her tail.

EB tucked in her wings and dove from the sky like a comet falling to earth. She opened them back up at the last moment and swooped down to the front stoop of the queen residence. She knocked furiously on the door, surely thinking she was splintering the wood beneath her fist.

(just like the way her bones had been splintered)

Tendons severed, muscles cut away, tail feathers docked, wings twin labyrinths of blood and gore. Elizabeth lied in her cell, shuddering in agony, staring listlessly at the wall. She couldn’t think straight at all anymore. Did she ever really have any visions?

The dove opened her cell down, rope in hand, and stared down at her.

“Get up, vulture,” He said. “You’ve got a big day ahead of you.”

After twenty-two eternal seconds, the front door opened. EB shoved past a confused-looking Cathy and stormed into the house like a raging firestorm.

“JANE!” She roared. “GET THE FUCK OVER HERE!”

“EB, what is the meaning of this?” Howard asked, but EB ignored her.

Jane walked out of a hallway, eyebrows furrowed, and EB nearly tackled her right then and there.

“What’s going on?” The old world swallowtail Cimex asked. Her large wings were twitching nervously, and EB so badly wanted to tear into them with her talons and teeth.

“I am going to be asking the questions here,” EB said to her, fire licking her words. She brandished the jaw trap, and it looked so much more menacing in actual light. Jane tensed, and gasps went around the room. “Recognize this?”

Jane swallowed thickly. “Wh-where did you get that?”

“I think you know.” EB said.

Jane looked confused. “What are you talking about?”

“Don’t play dumb with me, you snotty, pompous gnat!” EB snapped, enjoying the way Jane flinched. “You know exactly where this came from. You know what you did.”

“No, I don’t!” Jane said, glancing all around the room. “I haven’t seen one of those in centuries! I have no idea what you’re talking about!”

“YOU FUCKING LIAR!” EB roared, making everyone in the room jump. “You--you put this thing on a fucking kid, you absolute monster! She came to me crying, thinking she was going to die! I know you’re fucking racist, but how fucking SICK do you have to be to pull this shit AGAIN?”

Jane took a small step back. All four of her hands were wringing in her shirt, like she didn’t know what to do with her arms while she was getting ripped a new one. Her face was ghostly pale, eyes wide in shock, and her wings had started to tremble.

“I-I really don’t know what you’re talking about,” She squeaked.

EB scoffed. “You’re such a fucking joke.” She said. “I knew you were illiterate and fucking stupid, but do I really have to spell it out for you? I know what you did to Joan, and I’m not going to let you get away with it.”

“She did WHAT?” Howard snapped to attention.

“What happened to Joan?” Aragon followed, unfurling her golden dragon wings. She shot an evil glare at Jane.

“She put this fucking torture device on Joan.” EB said, shaking the jaw trap for emphasis. It clanked loudly, the deadly jaws hanging limply. She stalked closer to Jane, ruffling up her wings to look bigger than she already was. The butterfly cowered beneath her, shaking from antennae to toe. With a voice that was dripping with venom, she said, “And you should know that when it comes to all equipment, tech, and machinery, whether it be used in the tour or not, my word is law. And my decree is that if you so much as think of bringing along another one of these wretched devices, then you have another thing coming.”

Jane went to reply, and EB slashed her across the mouth.

Driven backwards by pain, Jane staggered, wings flaring out in shock. Her hands flew to her jaw, pawing tentatively, green Cimex blood drooling through her fingers. Four long claw marks were carved across her lips and cheeks, and EB struggled not to smirk at how long the scars would linger on her face.

“Do NOT try and argue with me!” EB boomed, her voice resounding like thunder through the house. “I did NOT live through torture at the Tower of London to see this fucking thing be used in modern day!” She clutched at the jaw trap with both hands, imagining it were Jane’s head she was crushing between her talons. “You’re not going to hurt anyone everyone again, you fucking monster. Not while I’m around. And if you lay a single claw on Joan, if your silk so much as TOUCHES her, if your wings even BRUSH her, I will fucking kill you, and I will make sure it’s much worse than goddamn natural causes. I will make you feel real pain, you useless baby-making trophy.”

And then she pulled the jaw trap apart, looking Jane dead in the eye as if to say, “THIS is you.”

Silence fell around the house. Jane was frozen, shaking madly, but her petrified expression was more than satisfying for EB.

Was this what the dove felt when he tortured her?

Come on, little nun, tell me my future. Don’t make this all be worthless…

Raising her chin haughtily, EB threw the broken jaw trap at Jane’s feet, fluffed her wings at her, and then turned and walked out.

She took to the sky instantly, and began flying home. She swore she had a boost under her wings as she flew, making her stronger and faster.

She felt powerful.

EB was home in record time, landing smoothly and instantly darting into her apartment.

Joan was curled on the couch where she left her, wrapped up in a cocoon made of her own weird wings. Her head popped up when the door shut, and her grey eyes were rimmed with thick rings of red.

“I told you I’d come back,” EB said.

Joan threw herself at EB, and EB caught her in her wings. The hybrid dissolved into tears once again, sobbing so hard it sounded painful. EB tried to maneuver her back to the couch before she collapsed, but she ended up scooping her up instead. She ignored the weird nagging sense of worry tugging on her brain when she realized how light Joan was, even for an avian of her size. Because she will say it again: she was NOT affected by nesting season!!!!

“Shh, shh, shh,” EB murmured, swaying Joan in her wings. “It’s alright. I’m here now. I’m sorry for leaving you, but I had to take care of something.”

Joan sniffled and whimpered something completely incomprehensible, but EB couldn’t really tell if it was because she was crying or because she was also Scottish, and who could REALLY understand Scottish avians?

“It’s okay, love,” EB held her tighter, feeling stubby little half-chewed claws grip onto her shirt. “I won’t let you go. Everything is alright now. Everything is alright.”

Joan cried steadily for ten more minutes, and EB was surprised that she had that much left in her. But after the storm of tears was over, she was reduced to weak hiccups, slumped against EB’s chest in clear exhaustion. Her shiny grey eyes were clouded with fatigue, and she barely had the strength to even lift her own wings. EB stroked down her crest feathers, clucking.

“Let me get you some water before you die of dehydration, little creature,” EB said affectionately. But when she tried to get up, Joan made quite an adorable whine (don’t tell anyone she thought that, though, or she will fucking rivet you a new anus) and mustered up enough strength to wrap her wings around her stomach and hang on her with her dewclaws. “Uhh. Pup? You gotta let go. I need to get you some water.”

Joan buried her face against her chest and shook her head.

“What, do you want to come with me to the kitchen or what?”

Joan looked up at her, eyes glistening like a newborn baby bat’s, and EB had her answer.

Carrying a hybrid hanging onto her like a baby koala might have been weird if EB hadn’t have read something that said Vespers liked hanging on things because it was “true to their bat nature” and also liked being swaddled by wings because it made them “feel secure” and “reminded them of their mother.” Not that she looked that up because she liked Joan, though! Well, she DID like Joan, but she was just looking up things about Vespers because she was interested in the other tribes, that’s all! Nothing for Joan’s sake! She was just curious!

Oh, who was she kidding? Maybe she could let her persona fall just this once. After all, Joan gave her a reason to change that goddamn light bulb. And when did a little nesting season instincts ever hurt anyone?

#wing au #dont tag as ship #six the musical #six the musical fanfic #six the musical fanfiction #six the musical fic #six the musical au #EB #elizabeth barton #tour joan on the keys #tour jane seymour #tw: blood #tw: torture #put your head on my shoulder

28 notes · View notes

john-barley-corn · 7 years ago

Text

At Taylor Park today, I saw:

the usual scores of Canada geese, mallards, feral pigeons, coots, moorhens and black-headed gulls

the usual family of mute swans, juveniles looking mostly white by now

the usual pair of greylag geese with white patches on heads from domestic admixture

the usual two domestic-type Muscovy ducks

the usual magpies flitting between the trees

the usual blackbirds foraging on the ground

one robin which hopped out of a bush onto a fence post as I approached i as if to say, “Here am, good sir; pray take a photo of my dashing good lucks”, but then some guy walked past and scared it off

three tufted ducks, one solitary female and one couple (I had previously seen one tufted duck on a previous trip)

one grey wagtail standing on a branch and cleaning itself, tail wagging furiously (I had previously got a brief glimpse of a grey wagtail there, but this time I had a good prolonged look)

two blue tits in the trees with the grey wagtail (I haven’t seen tits at Taylor Park before)

one great crested grebe in winter plumage (I haven’t seen grebes at Taylor Park before)

one incongruous-looking immature herring gull or lesser black-backed gull standing at the base of a rail the top of which was entirely covered by a line of closely-packed perching black-headed gulls (I haven’t seen any gulls other than black-headed gulls there before)

a couple of weird-looking ducks I hadn’t seen before, which looked quite like the red-crested pochard x mallard hybrids on this page, but I wouldn’t be very sure about that identification

#my life #sighting records #taylor park

1 note · View note

dansnaturepictures · 2 years ago

Text

Round up of my wild week 19th-24th March 2023

It has been another memorable week of wildlife and photos for me, and one that felt again an interesting week of transition with making the most of wild winter sights like Brent Geese at Pennington and Siskins at my local Lakeside, whilst also observing a delightful array of emerging spring wildflowers and seeing a butterfly again with stunning views of a bright Brimstone flitting around Abbey Gardens on Wednesday lunch time.

Undoubtedly my star bird of the week was one of the best I’ve seen this year, the female Surf Scoter at Pennington which we saw on Sunday. What an honour to see this remarkable species so close into shore by the jetty, allowing for epic views to cherish. Just like the first I saw of the species a male at Stokes Bay eight years ago it is an enormous moment for Hampshire birding which I was overjoyed to be a part of. In another move into springtime Chiffchaffs just kept on giving for me this week as I saw so many and got some excellent views of these charming warblers on walks at Lakeside and in both Abbey Gardens and by the river in Winchester. My third star bird across the week again was of course Peregrine Falcon, in a momentous week where Winnie’s egg laying for this year commenced I was so happy to get to see so much of both birds at Winchester Cathedral on Wednesday and Thursday’s lunch breaks which is always so feel good and immersive. I enjoyed watching them on the webcam too: https://www.winchester-cathedral.org.uk/explore/peregrines/

On Thursday I certainly used the fact they’re more present at the cathedral now to indulge in Peregrine photos taking my long distance zoom bridge camera in my work bag for an office working day (the first subject I ever did this for which I now do regularly, and always the most thrilling I think), taking more photos than I ever had on a day before including the above.

It was good to get this Chiffchaff photo by the river on Thursday too.

Leading the other avian highlights was another target bird seen of late seeing my first Eider of the year further out to sea than the socter at Pennington on Sunday, a welcome sight of a lovely bird. I also enjoyed seeing Mediterranean Gulls well, an array of ducks including Shelduck, Shoveler and Gadwall, a nice range of waders including delightful Ruff, gorgeous Avocet, Redshank well and Grey Plover and Ringed Plover and Skylark at Pennington with Cetti’s Warbler heard really well there; the five Great Crested Grebes seen so well across the week at Lakeside again as well as Blue Tit, Great Tit and Long-tailed Tits, Tufted Ducks nicely especially at Lakeside and Mallard, Buzzard and Grey Wagtail seen well in Winchester this week.

These Collared Doves were a good Lakeside sight this week.

Finally the big point in my week of flowers are that as predicted based on past years as we got into the twenties for dates in March the snake’s-head fritillaries are out at Lakeside in their usual maiden spot in a year under trees in the southern fenced off area. It was a true joy to be spellbound by these marvelous and wonderfully coloured flowers. Seeing them is one of my favourite bits of spring and I’ve enjoyed them so much this week. Other brilliant flowers I liked seeing this week included the snowflakes at Lakeside again, hyacinth at Lakeside and in Winchester, green alkanet at both my first Lakeside sighting of any this year, speedwell, spurge, my first cowslips of the year, red deadnettle and daisy creating great scenes, a stunning spectacle of a bit of Lakeside covered in lesser celandine with this seen well throughout the week and some tulips in the grounds of Winchester Cathedral. I saw some nice fungi at Lakeside and out the front this week including hairy curtain crust and bees/hoverflies were nice to see too.

Snake’s-head fritillary yesterday

A glorious hyacinth at Winchester Cathedral on Thursday.

Blossom has a great grip on the landscape now especially at Lakeside with buds so visible now too and they both created golden scenes like this one at Lakeside yesterday evening.

It was good to be back at a place that inspires and connects me to nature so much the coast after a bit of lull in that when we went to Pennington, this one of a few nice views to take in, in a snatch of sunshine which has defined my photos on days a little of late.

4 notes · View notes

dansnaturepictures · 3 years ago

Photo

15\09/21-Part 1 of 2: Richmond Park

Since 10th October 2010 when after seeing Red Deer’s on that week’s episode of Autumnwatch based at Richmond Park and we wanted to see these mammals ourselves so came to this Royal Park, we have come to Richmond Park every year. And since 2014 have come to fairly nearby Bushy Park on the annual day trip in and around the time of the Red Deer rutting (mating) season. Last year however we just did the Bushy Park part of the trip in an afternoon rather than the usual day trip to them both at the height of the pandemic really in pre-vaccine days and knowing obviously being close to London there are more people about here so we felt a briefer visit to one would be safer and more sensible all round. We came on 10th October last autumn so effectively Covid (quite rightly as the safety comes first) prevented us from coming to Richmond a whole decade to the day since we first went. But today we returned to both Richmond Park and Bushy Park as we usually do coming to Richmond first and got to celebrate coming here again eleven years on that time has really flown by and I love coming here. My next post is about Bushy Park today. Getting into the car with excitement building for the anticipated trip on a sunny morning at home with the tree visible from my room looking great and I loved seeing as well as Collared Doves on the roof nicely against a blue sky a Red Kite soaring over the town not one I’d seen locally for a while. The kitchen and house was full of crane flies interestingly last night with a Box Tree moth in the kitchen too.

At Richmond Park when we arrived walking down towards Pen Ponds where we usually base ourselves here in quite sunny conditions that greeted us for much of the day, I took the first three pictures in this photoset on this walk, I realised with us coming a little bit earlier this year (we did come in September in 2017 and still saw deers so with us having this week off for day trips in the end where we might have gone away if things had been different it felt like a good opportunity to squeeze this annual trip in earlier) we rather got to see this beautiful place quite summery still with very green leaves all over rather than being in autumnal multi colour as they so often are when we do this trip and seeing many mushrooms. The main hint of the time of year were chestnut trees carrying nuts which was interesting.

We got some great views of Small Heath butterflies on the walk around the ponds and there was a wealth of tormentil especially in terms of flowers which looked great a star flower for me this week off particularly around the ponds and also lots of hawksbeard or catsear which was great to see and ragwort. On the ponds masses of Egyptian Geese a star bird here which we got brilliant views of all day as shown in the fifth picture in this photoset here, neat looking female or eclipsed Shovelers and two of my favourite birds the bright red headed male and charming brown female Pochards as shown by the seventh picture I took today in this photoset and some Great Crested Grebes made great sights. I also liked seeing a Cormorant on a water gage type of equipment in one of the ponds which we got really nice views of another star bird of the place. I also took the fourth picture in this photoset of Black-headed Gulls lined up nicely on some rails by the water. I got the sixth and eighth pictures in this photoset of Pen Ponds.

Dragonflies adorned the marshy areas beside the ponds with nice views of Migrant Hawker which I am having a great year for and seeing a lot lately, as well as a Common Blue Damselfly. Then came a glorious moment in our day when we spotted a splendid female Black Darter on the verge of a pond. An excellent species to see which came into our life at Thursley Common in 2018 and 2019 but the fire that impacted the board walk rather prevented us seeing one last year there. But in 2019 when last at Richmond Park we also saw one here in early October that year so I had just thought could we see one today and I was thrilled to. One I was so pleased to see and it’s good to know we can rely on here for them a bit maybe. At that stage I thought it was probably only Emerald Damselfly another we first saw at Thursley which kept me from getting my dragonfly and damselfly year list close to my highest ever total in 2019, when home I realised there was one other Red-veined Darter which I saw in 2019 and not this year. More on that in my next post about our time at Bushy Park today though.

Walking on and we got the always visit defining moment of a smashing and intimate moment seeing a striking emerald wonder of a noisy Ring-necked Parakeet sat in a tree. It was a treasure to spend some special moments watching this bird and taking photos as I did on the way back to the car too. Even though I am seeing these more and more at home now, it was still fantastic to see these eccentric birds wheeling through the London sky today a true highlight of today. Walking on also we got an exciting glimpse of a little Fallow Deer which did look adorable and saw a flash of green again this time a Green Woodpecker flying through another of my favourite birds that this spot is so strong for.

Then just past the Pen Ponds car park and we had the moment we had hoped for. Sat underneath trees after seeing one on the way in driving through the park were a group of eleven Red Deers, what always drives us to come here. We enjoyed a sensational few moments being so honoured to be in the company of these majestic and gigantic beings. It was such a privilege to be able take in sights of them and try for pictures, as the group with varied sized antlers largely rested ahead of the peak of the rut to come standing up occasionally. Their antlers did look in fine condition. One of the main stags with big antler’s ears flapped gently in the wind was lovely to see. As we so often see some Jackdaws hopped onto the backs of the deers to clear anything undesired on their fur. A perfect few minutes of enjoying nature and I got the final two pictures in this photoset of these Red Deers.

After an ice cream from the car park kiosk on the way we enjoyed a cup of tea when back at where we parked and some wafers that we have every year since we first came. I liked seeing a Speckled Wood here well, an interesting little caterpillar and lots more Ring-necked Parakeets flying overhead. On the subject of parrots we were then surprised to see the exotic blue and yellow of a macaw gliding through the park! My Mum then spoke to the lovely lady with it and it was chico_the macaw on Instagram and it was just such a lovely and really feel good sight to see I am so glad we saw them today and was really nice to learn about them, what a lovely moment it was today. My next post has the story of our time at Bushy Park today.

Wildlife Sightings Summary: My first Black Darter of the year, three of my favourite birds the Pochard, Great Crested Grebe and Green Woodpecker, two of my favourite mammals the Red Deer and Fallow Deer, Mallard, Shoveler, Tufted Duck, Coot, Moorhen, Cormorant, Egyptian Goose, Greylag Goose, Black-headed Gull, some great views of Jackdaws landed on different things, Carrion Crow, Magpie, Woodpigeon, Long-tailed Tit, House Sparrow, Ring-necked Parakeet, Small Heath, Meadow Brown, Speckled Wood, possible hairstreak gliding along the tree line, Grey Squirrel, Migrant Hawker and Common Blue Damselfly.

5 notes · View notes

dansnaturepictures · 8 years ago

Photo

4/2/17-Another brilliant Saturday at Blashford Lakes

One of the key reserves for me to visit as I build my bird year list as a year starts is Blashford Lakes with many habitats there hosting a large variety of species and it has been one of my very favourite nature reserves for a long time. So much so that I went today, called in there last Saturday and also went 3 Saturdays ago. I went again today with a few more year ticks I thought I could get there and I did get 3 year ticks, meaning I have seen 114 birds in 2017 now which means my year list is higher on this date than any other I’ve had before still in what’s been another incredible start for me.

Now at the beginning of the year with lots to mention in these blogs about the birds I’m seeing to add to my year list it sometimes gets hard knowing what to and what not to put into these blogs and whether it should be a full blog like this or just pictures, captions for these and my Wildlife Sightings Summary. I initially thought today might only warrant the former or at least the extended format of it I seem to have introduced lately where its like that but I write a bit more in my Wildlife Sightings Summary, but I decided I just had too much to say about today’s visit for that format.

So I began as I usually do going into the Tern Hide overlooking Ibsley Water where we called into last week and on that and my previous full visit here I felt I was seeing the same albeit great things from this hide. But I saw some different things to those two visits from this hide today, one of my favourite birds the Kingfisher and some Egyptian Geese flying in and some Pintails on the water and a Red Kite flying at the back neither of which I had ever seen here before. I also got a chance to do something I hadn’t for a while, take pictures from the Tern Hide. The 1st picture I got from today in this photoset was the one I got excited about here as its of the beautiful but frequently diving and often seen far out Goldeneye. This one just about crept closer and closer to me allowing a sort of record shot that I was very pleased with. At the same time that I was photographing this I was also producing the 2nd picture in this photoset of the Little Grebe.

The last two times I had been at the Tern Hide though I had been frustrated by the vast and varied Gull flock which the reserve is often famed for. Usually its a good one for taking pictures and zooming in to identify the Gulls but both previous times this year the light had made this nearly impossible. However today I just managed to pick out species on these zoom ins including to my delight my first year tick of the day, the Common Gull one I always like seeing as you never know where one will pop up and I seem to be the one to be able to identify them amongst my small birding group.

I moved onto Ivy North Hide via the toilets, but on the way just caught sight of my first Siskin of the year on the feeders at the visitor centre. After Ivy North it was onto my favourite hide anywhere the Woodland Hide and on route here I saw the Robin in the 3rd picture in this photoset singing so beautifully and it allowed me to get really close. This was a real close up moment of the day which allowed me to feel very connected to nature. I got into the Woodland Hide and one of my favourite birds the Great Spotted Woodpecker which is always the star there was there to begin with for me and gave another showing towards the end of my stint here. I saw more Siskins to really enjoy these birds again and took the 4th picture in this photoset of the Blackbird.

The best moment in this hide though came when I looked up at the trees for a minute taking my eyes off the feeder and when I looked back at it there was a lovely Brambling just creeping behind. This was a great moment and another year tick and another on the day I was very happy to see. I was especially happy to see the Siskin and Brambling as they are two iconic Blashford Lakes birds for me. The Brambling was my bogey bird 2 years ago (the bird I take ages to see in a year which I really ought to see sooner based on past experience) and the Siskin had showed early signs of being this year’s bogey bird for me so it was nice to stop the bogey bird trail for the Siskin and have the satisfying moment of seeing a bird that I know can be a bogey bird for me. I actually saw every bogey bird I’ve ever had today as I’ve only recognised them since 2013, other Blashford specialities the Goldeneye and Goosander and the Red Kite too which was last year’s bogey bird. I’m not sure what this year’s really will turn out to be, it sometimes takes time for me to realise the species but I’ve had such a strong start to my bird year list I have seen so much already anyway. To indicate this I was looking at the sign at the centre which had the sightings today and it struck me that there was only one bird on it I hadn’t seen this year and there were some rare and hard to see birds on this sign too. So another fantastic Saturday trip to Blashford today and when I get into work on Monday morning and people ask me if I had a good weekend I can say yes and look back on this trip as it did just really feel like I was making the most of a weekend with it.

Wildlife Sightings Summary: My first Common Gull, Siskin and Brambling of the year, five of my favourite birds the Kingfisher, Pochard, Great Crested Grebe, Little Egret and Great Spotted Woodpecker, Mallard, Mute Swan, Coot, Moorhen, Greylag Goose, Canada Goose, Cormorant, Wigeon, Shoveler, Pintail, Goldeneye, Goosander, Black-headed Gull, Herring Gull, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Little Grebe, Wren, Robin, Blackbird, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Nuthatch, Woodpigeon, Grey Heron, Red Kite and Grey Squirrel.

0 notes