Saturday 8 June 2013

Out on the patch this morning , although it was not as early as I had wanted as I over slept ! Quite warm with a few clouds but a nagging north breeze.
Overhead 8 plus House Martins and 5 plus Swallow were feeding, local breeders from the village, Swallow numbers are down on last year.
Bird song has diminished somewhat or at least today it seemed to have and in the hedges were 2 Chiffchaff, 3 Blackcap and 6 Whitethroat.
A great surprise was a Curlew calling from the river meadows and the local pair of Yellow Wagtails were about .There was also a healthy show of Skylarks with at least 6 singing . There was also at least 3 Linnet over and a few more Goldfinch than of late.
 Around 15 Lesser Black Backed Gulls and 1 Herring Gull passed over north .
The best of the rest were a female Kestrel, 2 Buzzard, 2 Stock Dove, Greater Spotted Woodpecker.
Later on after an unsuccessful stake out of last years Spotted Flycatcher area, 2 Birds were in the hedge right next to the cottage, so maybe they have just moved some where else, although it has not been easy to observe the usual haunt as the field is full of a herd of ASBO cows who are given to charging at you