Once more it was a sunny and warm full patch visit today, can it last much longer!
I left the house at 06:15 this morning, thinking conditions were ideal to hear the first Cuckoo of spring, but it wasn't to be, maybe tomorrow, the 11th is the earliest Cuckoo date I have recorded, with the mean arrival date for the past ten years being the 14th, so they could well be here this week !
My trip to the College Grounds, via the Tree Nursery, Pub Field and Migrant Alley didn't turn up any other new summer arrivals either, and as yesterday morning, it was quite hard going at times. The already arrived BLACKCAPS, CHIFFCHAFFS and SWALLOWS were easy enough to locate around the college stables and grounds, and the resident species showed themselves at regular intervals, but nothing of any real note was seen, apart from maybe the two YELLOWHAMMERS that were in the tall hedge at Migrant Alley.
The Wet Woods were quiet, but the bluebells there were almost in full bloom, the lakes had lost the excitement of yesterday, as the Shoveler ducks had long gone, leaving behind the pair of COOTS, 2 MALLARD, a MOORHEN and 10 CANADA GEESE. The very average day continued as I walked the Scrubby Woods, TREECREEPERS, NUTHATCH'S, COAL TITS, LONG TAILED TITS, and GOLDCREST were all seen as expected, only a passage WILLOW WARBLER was out of the ordinary, which gave some summery song.
As most days, I ended up at Migrant Alley, just in case something had dropped in, but it hadn't today, although my skywatch did produce some raptors, 2 BUZZARDS, 2 SPARROWHAWKS, a KESTREL and the pair of tower PEREGRINES were all seen high up in the blue, also at least 7 MEADOW PIPITS went over heading NW. I'm off this week so i'll be out on another full patch walk tomorrow :-)
The most interesting sighting for the day, was of this Fox, she had at least 3 cubs suckling from her, if you click on the image you can see at least two :-) 
Above: the local KESTREL, I watched it catch a small rodent at the Greenhouse Complex.
Above: The Bluebells in the Wet Woods 
13 comments:
Warren ,
Brilliant shot of the female Fox and young .
Hope your week off goes well , but things are going to get cooler .
Another interesting read. If the forecast for tomorrow - following on from a brilliant day today - is anything like ours up here in't north it won't last I'm afraid Warren.
Grest Foxy shot Warren, i'm suitably envious!
Hi Greenie, Pete,
well we had a good run for our money, i'm not complaining ( for once!!)
Good shot of Fox with her babies. I love 'em.
That is indeed an amazing moment you've captured with that mama fox, Warren!
I love the bluebell photo, too. All of our wildflowers are late this year, but we should get some serious blooms in the next week or two!
I just love Foxes, a great photo of the family and some nice birds seen as well.
The bluebell and the fox were probably the plus of the day... I have not see n any of the migrants you were suggesting to arrive ;-) Let's be honest we have once again one of these terrible storms!!
I feel like I am in a fairy tale. Great pics and read. Thank you for sharing.....how do you get the critters to pose for you?:)
That is a really lovely photo of the Fox and her cubs Warren and particularly good when enlarged. Lovely Kestrel shot too.
This weather has been wonderful, if it stayed just like this until Autumn it would suit me perfectly :)
Great capture of the Foxes, Warren. They`re at the top of my want to photograph list.
Stunning Fox photos Warren..great to see her with young.
Hi Warren, I can see I've missed a couple of things, nice to get the Shovelers and another Wheatear and as Greenie says brilliant Fox shot :-)
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