Sunday 6 July 2008

It was windy, with spots of rain when I left for a four hour walk round my patch this morning. I wasn't really expecting much in the way of birds, but I was pleasantly surprised when, at one of the gardens by the lakeside scrub, (the garden has an overgrown, largish pond, with just a few remaining phragmites in it.) I came across a singing REED WARBLER 89 , the first on my patch this year, brilliant! I rarely get to record this species on my patch, there isn't any suitable breeding habitat, so its only the spring and autumn movements that I get to see the odd one, but they are not seen every year. Other summer songsters that were heard were, COMMON and LESSER WHITETHROAT, CHIFFCHAFF, BLACKCAP, and TURTLE DOVE, all in small numbers, ones and two's mainly.
Three types of Gull flew over migrant alley, also a GREY HERON, the SWALLOWS were skimming low, hunting for insects, but SWIFTS and HOUSE MARTINS were fewer than of late. In the college grounds I again found a SPOTTED FLYCATCHER, where there were also a few Damselflies and Chasers about, as well as a Common Darter. At the scrub headland, at the north end of migrant alley I found my first Gatekeeper butterfly of the year.
So in the end it was well worth getting out early - you just don't know what you might find!

A Female Broad Bodied Chaser


A Female Common Darter

My First Gatekeeper Butterfly Of The Year


Spotted Flycatcher



The MOORHEN on the right is one of the young born early in the year, it was helping feed the young that have recently fledged, - it's brother or sister. A good strategy for survival.




Another attempt to photo the skimming Swallows. They're just too quick!





6 comments:

John Young said...

I think you did very well to get the swallow in the photo, keep trying Warren.

Steve said...

Great to hear about the Reed Warbler Warren - keep plugging away!

Mike said...

Nice post Warren, the first shot of the FBBC is a cracker, shame about the swallow pick, least you can tell what it is considering they are like bullets.

Greenie said...

Warren ,
I have tried so many times to get a decent Swallow / Swift in flight , congratulations on your very good shot . Like Mike , I really liked the over mature BBC.

This Is My Blog - fishing guy said...

Warren: I love the little Moorhen photo. The little ones are special just like in the human world.

Simon said...

Brilliant photos Warren, and weldone with the Reed Warbler - keep it up!