Wednesday 4 June 2008

The promised sunshine did arrive - eventually, and what a difference it makes! This afternoon I spent an hour around the lakeside scrub, and heard TURTLE DOVE, BLACKCAP, CHIFFCHAFF and COMMON WHITETHROAT but the Willow Warbler was nowhere to be seen/heard. I moved on to the tree nursery and sat and listened, a GREY HERON flew over and a Common Whitethroat sang nearby, as well as a GARDEN WARBLER, the first I have heard in this area. I also saw my first PAINTED LADY butterfly, but it didn't stop for a photo - pity.
A sad occurrence on Ashes lane as I walked home, I found the crushed corpse of a female House Sparrow, one of the birds that had been colour ringed for the BTO ''Ringing Adults for Survival'' scheme, that i'm helping out in. She was ringed as a Juv. in Aug. 2005. Even sadder that I saw this bird at my feeders two days earlier, taking food away for its young. Its not the first House sparrow to meet it's end this way, why must people speed at 50mph down a country lane?

3 comments:

Josh Jenkins Shaw said...

You were luck with the Turtle dove and Garden warbler, and ashame about House sparrow.
Josh

Steve said...

Nice to see a bit of sunshine at last today wasn't it. Glad the birds are still singing for you

Simon said...

Sorry to hear about the Sparrow Warren. Welldone with the Turtle Dove and Garden Warbler - 2 species I am yet to record this year in Mote Park!