Sunday 23 June 2013

The strong breeze was still blowing the odd shower and dark clouds across the sky this morning, a typical Autumnal day....trouble is, it's meant to be mid -Summer  :-)

I spent the early part of the morning around the Greenhouse grounds and Migrant Alley, its here i'm most likely to add a new species for the months list, probably involving a flyover over, but nothing new showed up.

There was more bird song today than in recent days, 2 COMMON WHITETHROATS were singing from the hedgerow along Ashes lane, and another was seen at the Greenhouse Grounds, where a SONGTHRUSH and a BLACKCAP were singing.  My skywatch from my seat at Migrant Alley produced three raptor species, KESTREL, SPARROWHAWK and BUZZARD, as well two gull species, LESSER BLACK BACKED and HERRING GULL, but as I said, nothing new for the months list was seen.

I decided to have a check over at the Scrubby Woods for some newly fledged young, and despite the wind, found a party of mixed species, all with young in tow, WREN, ROBIN, TREECREEPER, COAL TIT, BLUE TIT, and GREAT TIT, were feeding hidden, calling young, and with them was a NUTHATCH family, I found them at last! Another for this years 'successfully bred' list   :-)

A scan over the adjacent Lakes was had, and 21 CANADA GEESE with 5 immatures were on the water, along with a pair of GREYLAGS with 3 immatures. The 3 COOT young were also present, and are almost independent now  :-)

I was surprised to see on my wanderings, in the cool conditions, both Red Admiral and Peacock Butterflies, as well as a few Speckled Wood, a Four Spotted Chaser was also seen in the grassland of the Ashes Lane Field, boding well for next week, when the weather is meant to pick up a bit  :-)

I'm already looking forward to getting a full patch walk under way tomorrow morning, the first since the 18th.

Nothing for the camera from this mornings visit, so its back to the ''blog Folder'', which needs filling up again!
LINNET
Immature STARLING
Immature Starling
Adult Female, GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER

5 comments:

Marc Heath said...

I do like those GSW shots, very photogenic birds when they pose. I think the rarest thing I will see next week will be the SUN!

Warren Baker said...

Hi Marc,
Its hard not to keep taking photo's of the Great Spots, ive lots of nice perches for them in the garden, ad there is a whole family coming to visit at the moment!

Sun will be here next week mate :-)

Phil said...

Another cold and grey week just doesn't bear thinking about Warren. So I hope the rumours about warm weather are true.
I've still hardly seen more than half a dozen dragons this year. Once again I feel cheated.
Well done with the Nuthatch family. Strangely ours have just returned to the garden after an absence of several weeks.

Ken. said...

Warren.
Always nice to see Song Thrushes, not a bird that is seen a lot these days.
The weather is playing havoc with your lists, lets hope your all day patch walk tomorrow is more successful

Chris said...

looks like the weather has been plying with you like it does with me... Crappy spring ;-) But this shot of woodpecker, not being from this morning is still a plus! Wonderful one Warren...