Sunday 5 June 2016

There was a transformation with the weather today, clear blue skies and warm sunshine greeted me early this morning, the first for a week!

I made a four and a half hour full patch walk in the kinder conditions, finding a total of 44 species, not very good for June, even though only the Jay, Swift and Sparrowhawk were missing for the regulars, but as is the case now, a whole host of summer species are not here anymore, or occur just as flyovers, the ones I did record today were ; CHIFFCHAFF, BLACKCAP, COMMON WHITETHROAT and SWALLOW .

Only one species was added to the months bird list, that was the LONG TAILED TIT (52), the last of the regular patch species to be added, the mean average June species total for the previous 5 years is 65 so it will be a struggle to reach that!

Plenty of WREN, ROBIN, DUNNOCK, BLUE TIT and GREAT TIT young were seen today, but no new species had fledged young yet, where are all the BLACKBIRD fledglings ? The MUTE SWAN was either brooding her Cygnet on the nest site island, or she has lost it, I couldn't see properly across the ornamental lake, but more GREYLAG and CANADA GEESE families have turned up on the main lake.

The male KESTREL was seen up hunting, but no activity was noted at the nest box in the Greenhouse Grounds, the only other raptor species seen today were  the local BUZZARD pair over the Wet Woods.

Just one photo opportunity came my way, despite all that lovely light, that was of a GOLDFINCH. My planned walk to look for Odonata later in this afternoon had to be put off until tomorrow.


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