The last four days have been wonderful – time spent with family, time spent sitting in the garden and time spent with Spring nature.
This is a time of arrivals – the emergence of butterflies, the flowering of plants and the growing mix of songs in the dawn chorus.
Here are some of my weekend highlights:
- the spread of Pasqueflowers at Barnack on Good Friday, with a few Willow Warblers singing in the background and a Green Hairstreak sunning itself on the short grass
- watching Blackbirds and Woodpigeons feed on the ivy berries in our garden, while Holly Blues flitted around
- a Grizzled Skipper feeding on a lonely Dandelion as even more Willow Warblers tumbled out their songs
- a lone Cuckooflower on the path, which further down had a female Orange Tip who might have been looking for that very species, as newly-arrived Reed Warblers chuntered in the reeds
And there were Dingey Skippers, Brimstones and a smart Comma as well as Cowslips, the colours of different trees and bushes as they leaf up, a first Garden Warbler of the year and several new bird species for the garden list this year.
But no Cuckoo yet – maybe soon – and I checked Glapthorn for Nightingales yesterday evening with none heard, and no records in the logbook so far. There is time for them to arrive but I don’t hold out much hope, they would normally be back by now.
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A first outing for the moth trap, a hornet and a new species for the garden: Zicrona caerulea. Cuckoos seen on Otmoor earlier in the week.
Same as me but different. Spent with my family in their garden sun (and nearby Natura 2000 sites).
– heard (& got to see!) a lesser spotted woodpecker preparing its nest
– looked at beavers’ teethmarks on lakeside trees
– heard more bitterns than blue tits
– saw sparrows nesting inside the tangled twigs of an occupied stork’s nest.
Noticed very obvious signs reminding people this was all due to EU funding, protected by EU laws and cared for by local support.
(We’re really not good at ensuring people know what the EU has given us in the U.K.)
Jamie.
Sounds like a great weekend, but no mention of World Curlew Day? Seems that this moorland bird of “near threatened” conservation status has slipped under your radar, unlike the other moorland bird you champion the “least concern” hen harrier.
The poor old Curlew just doesn’t fit the agenda perhaps?
Adrian – you win the prize for the most contrived dig of the week, so far. Curlews aren’t really moorland birds, they’ve just been excluded from most of their lowland nesting sites. Speaking of which I have visited a current Curlew nesting site in Northants a couple of times this Spring. I’ve seen them once – the last visit was, I think, on Thursday but I didn’t see them then. I didn’t see a Hen Harrier or a Red Grouse either.
Mid Wales was sounding fantastic……pied flycatcher, redstart and cuckoo the supporting cast in the dawn chorus with chiffchaffs and the more usual village birds. A goshawk over the Hill, and a visit to Glaslyn yesterday delighted with a pair of Hen Harrier……
The cuckoos were only just back. Ynys-Hir had a great white egret, a lovely black-plumage Spotted redshank and the Wyre forest visited on the way held lots of willow warblers and tree pipits… Allthings we just dont have at home.
Back to the grey dullness of East Anglia then now…
Lots of tits, nuthatches, robins, mistle thrush, GSW, pigones, blackbirds, aliens, buzzards, kites, goldfinches, spotted a house-hunting Spotted Flycatcher, enormous powered glider, disturbing side-profile sighting of what looked like an Me109. What the!!!! Watched a small black bird chasing a wheeling buzzard for ages before realising it was just the floater in my right eye.
Up to sunny North Yorkshire last Thursday ( actually stopping in Garforth West Yorks with my sister and BiL) Fridat Staveley NR near Knaresborough lots of Warblers, including Cettis, lots of Buuteflies mainly Brimstone and Orange tip but also some very fresh Speckled Woods. Then Nosterfield, the same plus Avocet and a few Ruff. Saturday repeat of above. Sunday on the moor tops with colleague Gareth— Green Hairstreak Green Tiger Bettles, Emperoro Moth but most unexpected a skydancer in speldid grey black and white with accompanying ringatail—– A place we have found them before but not for quite sometime——-MAGIC!!!!!! all duly reported in the right places now its fingers and everything else crossed.