Back to the grind! The start of another week and the weather at last seems to be in summer mode, although the morning was chilly in the NW wind. My walk in, was not very remarkable, SWALLOWS sat on the line over Ashes Lane, and 3 BLACK HEADED GULLS flew over, their wings beating in unison and their bodies equidistant, as if they were one bird. Skylarks were missing at migrant alley, they always tend to go elsewhere at the end of july and into August. The college had the usual 'garden' birds, plus one CHIFFCHAFF singing.
This afternoon was a complete waste of time! I should have stayed at home and watched the garden. A visit to the lake and scrub area there, was ruined by the gardener of one of the large houses, blasting away with his shotgun. A large stand of Buddlea looked very attractive, and I sat and waited for 20mins for a butterfly, but not one came in! Maybe they didn't like the shooting either. While I waited a Large Stoat came out from one of the out buildings, it just avoided having it's picture taken. I walked over to migrant alley via the tree nursery, which held plenty of Meadow Brown and Gatekeeper butterflies, plus a single chiffchaff. Another clown was blasting away at god knows what, from one of the fields just off my patch, next to migrant alley, nothing was seen, despite a 30min skywatch.
So that was it, a wasted afternoon really!

This is probably what all the shooting was about, poor old WOODPIGEON. A very common species, and a pest (some might say) A bit like the human race!

This morning I steped out the front door, and the first bird on my list was a SPARROWHAWK, shortly followed by a HERRING GULL, hmmm....... maybe something is happening out there today?
Just before entering the golfcourse, there are one or two large gardens, and grass fields, one of the gardens has a large Yew tree on it's boundary, and in here were a family of GOLDCREST and a family of TREECREEPER, all making much the same high pitched noise, they were then joined by a NUTHATCH and 6 BLUETITS, a nice start to my list. The hedgerow that I follow through the golf course had a BLACKCAP singing from it, as well as a family party of BULLFINCH. A LESSER BLACK BACKED GULL went over, and at least 10 SWIFTS wheeled around, before moving off SW. Along Cuckoo lane a Family of WHITETHROAT was in the hedge, and on into the scrub and lake area, I found, amongst others, GREY HERON, MALLARD, CHIFFCHAFF, but no Turtle Doves today. Nothing moved in the wet woods, apart from MOORHENS and Mosquitoes.
A flock of 8 LINNETS flew from the tree nursery, they are still nesting here, despite the relentless strimming from the Coblands lot. The small pool I pass on the way out had a new family of Moorhens on it, the third lot! I walked along the field margin and hedgerow, that leads onto migrant alley, and kicked up dozens of Gatekeeper, and meadow brown butterfies. Migrant alley was not obliging with any migrants, but a mixed flock of Herring and BLACKHEADED GULLS went over westwards. In the college grounds not much was going on, although 3 SAND MARTINS that flew over going south, was a nice patch sighting. Half an hour back at migrant alley, on '' my seat'' didn't produce anything different flying over, and I sat and watched a YELLOWHAMMER going back and forth with food for it's nestlings, they should fledge anyday now.


An insect that I can't ID is shown obove and below. Any Ideas anyone ? It was about 12mm long

On the Buddlea today was a tatty Red Admiral and a Comma Butterfly

On the telephone line, a SWALLOW was sitting enjoying the early warmth of the sun.

I found my first caterpillars of the Cinnabar moth, on their favoured Ragwort, (a plant that had somehow escaped the strimmers!)