The stunning spring sunshine continues! It was even warmer today than yesterday, all very nice, but we need some rain eventually, otherwise the wildlife will suffer.

In the warmth of the sunshine, I made a visit to the Tree Nursery, again I was on the lookout for Migrants, maybe a Wheatear or Stonechat, even a  flyover Sand Martin or Swallow, but none were found today, it was down to the DUNNOCKS, and GREEN WOODPECKERS to keep me amused, a MEADOW PIPIT flew over though, and the KESTREL was seen up hunting.

I then moved on through the Greenhouse Grounds, where it seemed just like a hot July afternoon, when everything goes quiet and seeks shelter from the heat of the afternoon, the only things seen were the BLACKBIRDS. On to Migrant Alley, and a walk of the paddocks and sheep pasture was had, the first thing noticed was a COMMON BUZZARD circling, yet again though there were no Migrants to be seen, but i'm sure i'll get at least one here before the months end, another two Buzzards were watched soaring over, apart from those it was a case of CARRION CROWS, WOODPIGEONS, ROOKS, the odd STARLING and a Green Woodpecker. The wooded headland to the north of the paddocks was checked, and a CHIFFCHAFF was heard to sing, also a pair of LONG TAILED TITS were seen in dense bushes, probably nest building, and two MISTLE THRUSHES flew low over.

I returned to my seat for a skywatch, finding a pair of LINNETS along the hedgerow thats runs behind my seat, the skywatch produced PIED WAGTAIL, BLACK HEADED and HERRING GULL, a brilliant view of the Kestrel hunting, alas just out of camera range though, and 3 STOCK DOVES, not a sniff of a Swallow or Sand Martin  :-(

On the way home I had some good views of a GOLDCREST, and got my best Goldcrest photo's to date ( well I think so!) also another Buzzard or one of the same ones seen earlier flew low over the lane, I got a photo but it was into the light, and I was in peril of being mown down by the speeding cars as I pointed the big lens skywards from the middle of the lane!!  :-)

Lots of photo's coming, so you might want to get a cuppa!

Goldcrest

Goldcrest

Goldcrest

Goldcrest

Dunnock

Dunnock

Wren

Wren

Linnet

Common Buzzard

Again, it was another cracking day, considering it's only March. This does have a few drawbacks though, the sunny warm weather brings out just about every dog owner, so my walk over to the Lakes this afternoon was a very quiet one, with all the wildlife flushed off well before I got out. Only this Daffodil caught my eye  :-)

Stunning spring Daf!

Over at the lakes, it is less disturbed, as most of it is private, a look over the water gave me views of the regular CANADA GEESE, 8 were seen, as well as the mixed pair of Canada/BARNACLE GOOSE, there were also 4 MOORHEN, two drake MALLARD and a female Mallard sitting on a nest on the far bank, the COOT pair were still around too  :-)

Looking around the surrounding Scrubby Woods, it was evident more CHIFFCHAFFS have arrived here, 4 were heard singing, but little else sang, just ROBIN, WREN and DUNNOCK.  BULLFINCH were heard though, and a single REDWING was seen, along with a pair of GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKERS. A KESTREL hunted overhead, the first ive seen of it for 3 days. A look at the nearby garden feeders proved fruitless, the reason being a SPARROWHAWK was sitting in the tree the feeders hang from! Two Comma Butterflies sat and posed for a photo, my 500mm lens struggles with the macro shots, but here's the results.........

Comma

Comma

Next stop was Migrant Alley, but along the way I saw 5 FIELDFARE in the Tree Nursery, didn't expect those today. once at Migrant Alley I did my usual circuit of the horse paddocks, scanning all the fence lines and post as I went, all to no avail though, not a sniff of a Wheatear yet  :-)  A few dozen ROOKS, WOOD PIGEONS, JACKDAWS, and half a dozen STARLINGS with two GREEN WOODPECKERS was about it.  A look through the Greenhouse Grounds was had, where the friendly Robin was seen, along with a couple of Wrens, a PIED WAGTAIL, and 4 GREAT TITS, the latter of which were chased all the way over to the Greenhouse Copse some 50 meters away by a large female Sparrowhawk, the Tits easily managing to out manoeuvre the hawk and reached the relative safety of cover  :-)

Great Tit - before being harried by the Sprawk  :-)

Whilst sitting watching the sky, I heard this Rabbit, worth a photo, thats how quite the skywatching was, I resorted to photographing Rabbits!