With a pair of Jackdaws having a disco on my roof near the chimney pots at 5am it was obvious that I was meant to get up and get out on the patch ,so it was 6am when Willow and I stepped out. First bird a female Sparrowhawk that zipped over the neighbours roof , a good start. We were only just a short distance up the lane when a Grey Heron passed over heading towards the river .
With the weather having been so great yesterday I was hoping that migrants would of started to arrive and that they would be passing through .
Chiffchaffs were still at 6/7 mark and Blackcaps were in fine voice with 5 been heard. So it looked as if there had not been any influx of these two species.
As I walked over the pasture in a vain search for Wheatears they were 6 Skylarks singing and 3 Red Legged Partridge exploded from the field edges. I then heard the unmistakable rattle of the first Common Whitethroat of the year, great to have them back ,I love them . 2 pairs of Linnets were on breeding territory and Stock Doves were displaying (5 birds seen ).
Things were starting to hot up at this point and I was very surprised to hear the sound of the summer when a Cuckoo called briefly , we struggle to to hear them before May usually, (although one was seen and heard at Ashleworth yesterday), so this was an early bird for the patch .
A male Yellowhammer was singing near where I saw him last week so I have high hopes for breeding on the patch ( not me ,the Yellowhammer you understand ), it would be great to see them on a more regular basis .
As I walked on a female Kestrel hunted the field margins and 2 Buzzards flapped by ,one being chased by a gang of crows .
Willow then put up a Brown Hare but did not bother to chase it as she knows its no contest !
From a nearby wooded area a Greater Spotted Woodpecker was drumming , and in the distance the Green Woodpecker called(I did see it yesterday when it made a pit stop in the garden for some Ants off the lawn), .
We turned for home and I was greeted by the sound of a Willow Warbler singing from near the cottage, he will just be passing through ,although last year a pair were on the patch all summer, ( this will not be the case this year as the landowner has tidied up that area a great shame ).
We were near the cottage when I heard a soft call telling me that a Bullfinch was in the hedgerow , so for my Bullfinch fan they are still here !
The best of the rest were 4 Pied Wagtails (2 pairs on farm yards ).
So the patch tick list (thank you patch groupies ), now jumps to 68
