Tuesday 18 May 2010

My walk into work this morning gave me a surprise species for the patch year list, a REED WARBLER (93, 68). It was singing from a large, dense blackthorn tree which is in the Green house Complex. Spring Reed Warblers are a real treat on my patch, being seen in 5 of the 9 springs now recorded, they are a scarce passage species.

So the year list moves on, just 7 short of my 100 target, and the months list of 68 is the joint 2nd best May with 2008, but still 3 short of last Mays record of 72.

After the success of my walk to work, my afternoon patch visit was not very interesting, the glorious sunshine had lasted only until I left work, it then clouded over and a cool breeze set in, ruling out finding any Butterflies, or my first Damselflies of the year.

I could still hear the chainsaws over at the large garden by the lakeside scrub area, so again I avoided going there, and did a repeat walk of yesterday afternoon, resulting in many of the same birds species being seen!

I added PIED WAGTAIL to the patch breeding list, when a fully fledged one was seen in the Tree Nursery, and at Migrant Alley, the north end scrub held two COMMON WHITETHROAT, they are new to that habitat. Also seen here was a CHIFFCHAFF, a pair of BULLFINCH, and the family of LONG TAILED TITS that I found last week. Nearby a BLACKCAP and SONGTHRUSH sang, and once agin a CUCKOO called to the north of my patch.

On the sheep pasture and paddocks, again it was LINNETS, Pied Wagtails, WOODPIGEON, and Corvids, with even more Juv. STARLINGS than yesterday, also a pair of GREEN WOODPECKERS were feeding around the horses hoofs. The only raptor seen today was a SPARROWHAWK, that flew over the copse hehind the Greenhouse Complex, with it's prey.

Below: Juv. STARLING.

8 comments:

Monika said...

Congrats on the Reed Warbler!

Chris said...

Congrats on the reed warbler Warren... Yeh mate 100 is not that far and you will get them. I'm sorry about this large garden being destroyed!!! Let's hope people will realize what happens in this world quite quickly before all biodiversity will disappear.

Ipin said...

Nice spring tick, I rarely see em in the spring here - defo an autumn bird at Druridge

Anonymous said...

It was only a matter of time before one turned up, Warren. Nice one.

Kerry said...

Weather has turned horrible here now so perhaps you will get our sunshine.

Congrats on the Reed Warbler.

Lancs and Lakes Outback Adventure Wildlife Safaris said...

Reed warbler would be a great Patch 1 tick - unthinkable on Patch 2 - the kid done good - keep it up 100 must be in yer sights now!!

Cheers

Davo

ShySongbird said...

Congrats on the Reed Warbler, Warren! You are moving ever closer to that 100 :)

Jann said...

Woo hoo on the reed warbler, Warren! I had a nice surprise visitor just a bit ago at the backyard feeder, which I'm posting in a bit.