Thanks to all of you who commented on yesterdys stonechat, its nice to have an interesting bird to study. It certainly wasn't your ''run of the mill'' female stonechat! I'll take it anyway! A new year tick is always welcome, and especially as this Stonechat was my first ever spring record! They do occasionally turn up in autumn, but have only been recorded in 4 out the 8 years of recording.

Back to today, and the sun came out as I left work, (makes a change, it's normally the other way round!) and as I came through migrant alley, I saw that wooden fencing was being put around the fields, to prevent access to the forthcoming gas pipeline, so the work begins. )-:

After dinner I went over to find that migrant blackcap over at the lake area. Before getting there, I watched a Male SPARROWHAWK circling low over the woods, not a good omen! The 'scolding' GREAT TIT again had a go at me as I walked passed it's territory, and the same thing happened when I passed a COAL TIT, a hole was found that I think it may be using as a nest site. On getting to the lake, I scanned it briefly, but nothing was on it, only a pair of CANADA GEESE a MALLARD and two MOORHEN, so I went and sat by the scrubby orchard to have a listen. DUNNOCKS were the most numerous, followed by various Tit species, and a SISKIN was singing high up in an ash, nice to get that on the april list, then, the sound I had been waiting for, the sweet rushed melody of a BLACKCAP (83) was heard ! It didn't give it's all, but it sure sounded good, I knew he'd turn up at this spot eventually, and just 2 days later than the mean arrival date.

I made my way over to Migrant alley despite all the work and disruption going on, mainly just to see if I could access my ''seat'', which I could, so I sat and watched the sky for a while, all the fields were empty, as a nail gun was being used to put the new fence rails on, and a tractor was banging down the main posts. I kept scanning the hedgerow for yesterdays Stonechat but it was gone. I did see 3 more SWALLOWS though, 2 went N, and the other was hanging around feeding over the Greenhouses, it could well be one of the local breeders. The only other birds of note were a gang of 4 HERRING GULLS and a KESTREL.


Below is the 'Scolding' Great Tit
Next is a LONG TAILED TIT I found in the wet woods

Below is a rather tatty looking comma butterfly, catching some rays.

Below, in the foreground is a section of the fencing going up around migrant alley, doesn't look too hard to scale, it even gives more places for the 'chats' and wheatear to sit!!

The weather is still settled and sunny, but a cool easterly wind picked up this afternoon. My first patch visit for April, and my efforts to make inroads on the April target of 71 (set in both 2006, 2008) started with a quick look over at the scrubby orchard, adjacent the lake, mainly to listen for that Blackcap, I heard, NUTHATCH, TREECREEPER, COAL TIT, CHAFFINCH, GREENFINCH, BULLFINCH, SONGTHRUSH, MISTLE THRUSH and BLACKBIRD all singing, but no Blackcap, but it wont be long now......I hope!

Only a quick scan of the lake was had, and a GREY HERON, 6 CANADA GEESE a few MOORHEN and 2 drake MALLARD were all was to be seen.

As I passed through the tree nursery, I had a nice encounter, a Slow Worm! Only the second record of one on my patch, it was a brief encounter, but I got a quick snap of it.

My usual stint at Migrant Alley was a pretty cold affair, as the wind had really picked up across the fields. I heard the LITTLE OWLS calling, a nice species for the April list, as was the LESSER BLACK BACKED GULL that flew over, and the pair of BUZZARDS briefly seen high up , before disapearing into the blue. However, as I stood up from my seat, and walked over to the hedgerow to take cover from the annoying wind, I saw a small bird fly low over the plough and sit atop a fence post, it was about 60 yards away, but I could see it was a chat, I tried sneaking up on it, but never got to more than within 30 yards of it, I took some distant photo's, and watched it for sometime, feeding, flitting out to the plough to pick up and insect and sometimes flying up and plucking one in mid air. I took it to be a STONECHAT (82) but when I looked at the photo's it looked like a Whinchat, in some respects, especially the light eye stripe, but it's still a bit early for them - isn't it ? have a look at the pics and see what you think, the're not very good as the wind was buffeting me all the time!


Above and below the Stonechat, or is it ?

Below; the Grey Heron at the lake

Below is only the second ever record for a Slow worm on my patch, and my only photo!

Last of all a Peacock Buttefly, a little the worse for wear, but still nice to see!