The Bluebells in the Wet Woods.Not much is changing at the moment on my patch, however yesterday evening I did manage to add a new species to the months list when 2 MANDARIN DUCK (76) flew over my house. I noticed they came from the small plastic lined reservoir over at the Greenhouse Complex, I watched the area on and off for about an hour, and saw 3 more drop in, one perched on a fence post, just like a wheatear - strange ducks these Mandarin. Also heard a LITTLE OWL calling from the small copse behind the greenhouses.
This morning on the way to work both LESSER and COMMON WHITETHROAT were singing from the hedge which runs along Ashes Lane and the Tree Nursery, i've only one of each of this species on my patch so far.
Back to this afternoon, and it's very much the same story as for Mon and tues afternoons. The search for a Garden Warbler over at the lakeside scrub failed, but it was a pleasant visit none the less, plenty of songsters were active : BLACKCAP, CHIFFCHAFF, BLACKBIRD, SONGTHRUSH, WREN, ROBIN, DUNNOCK to name a few. The Cuckoo was absent today though, as were many of the Butterfly species, just Orange Tip and Speckled wood were of note.
As usual I had a look around Migrant Alley, and it was ''as you were'' there too. A 40 min skywatch turned up trumps though, with 4 Raptor species being seen: PEREGRINE, BUZZARD, SPARROWHAWK and best of all a HOBBY, only my second record of an April hobby on my patch. If the Kestrel had shown itself I would have had a 5 Raptor day, something very rarely achieved!
I think another evening patch visit is worth the effort later.
Above and Below: The first Dunnock fledgeling of the year. This one was in my garden- the best bit of habitat on my patch :-)
On a very sad note, this male GREENFINCH was found in the road, it had only just been killed, and still had the piece of nesting material in its beak :-( A victim of one of the local ''oh, I never speed down the lane'' drivers. I'd like to find one of those B*stards crashed in the hedge, do you think i'd help them ? Not a chance!
11 comments:
Oh goodness, that last photo was very upsetting! I'm not good with anything sad concerning animals, birds etc in fact newspaper articles have to be censored before I see them!! Yes leave them in the hedge I say. I nearly got cut up by a cycle on the path today, have they never heard of ringing their bells? I'm afraid I expressed a little pavement rage :)
On a happier note, great photos of the fledgling Dunnock, not sure it looked too impressed with you in the first one though :)
great piccies again mate, shame about the Greenfinch though, I wont show Mandy as she will get upset!
Hi Warren. Like the first Dunnock fledgling picture, looks a bit grumpy. Reminded me of myself some mornings!
Hi Warren,
Well part of life mate for the greenfinch! Unfortunately we do not tend to realize that our life style affect very much the life surrounding us!!
Well done on the mandarin duck.. Things are moving up here too, plenty of birds arriving and the meadow pipit showed up (species 62)... I can of hope I'll reach 75 this year but I'll see ;-)
Aww, how terribly sad, I'm sorry you had to find that poor bird. That bluebells photo looks surreal.
Well done with the Mandarins, Warren.
Always a sad sight to see dead birds. Even more so when they`re in the process of breeding.
Your bluebells are much further on than ours, lovely photo,
so sad about the greenfinch though
I'm with you on not helping if I found one in the hedge: we get the same idiots speeding round here unfortunately. :-(
Nice to see the bluebells in their natural setting - they're considered very invasive over here, but what a beautiful site in your woods!
Whole heartedly agrr with you Warren, brought home even more is the twig in it's beak.
Love the bluebell photo, gorgeous scene. The fledgling is cute.
I get upset when I see any anmal laying dead in the street. If only people would slow down, it would give the birds and critters a chance.
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