Sunday , out a bit later and in truth a tad quieter , although a couple of nice sighting were had. The first one being a superb Hobby that was seen mobbing a Buzzard (2 were seen),
In the hedges were 3 Blackcap, 3 Chiffchaff, 7 Whitethroat.
Overhead were 12 plus Swallow, 5 plus House Martin, 4 Skylark, 1 Raven, also the insomniac Tawny Owl called a couple of times .
A male singing Yellow Wagtail was nice.
The best of the rest were 3 Greater Spotted Woodpecker, Green Woodpecker , Stock Dove, 1 Brown Hare, 1 Fox.
 The patch total is now 83                           

Back on the patch early as it forecast to be very hot today (Saturday), 5 Blackcap were still making themselves heard , and a good total of 4 Greater Spotted Woodpecker were about. My attention was drawn to a nice flock of 4 Raven that flew towards Tirley hill at 7.30am , signs that they have had a good breeding season.
Around the hedges were a great count of 13 plus Whitethroat , 5 Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler and the Willowchiff was calling today. Also heard a Bullfinch calling and a few Goldfinch and Linnet were letting themselves been known.
Overhead 15 plus House Martin were dotted about and 16 plus Swallow  were at breeding sites. An odd record was a Tawny Owl which called at 7.30am quite an odd 5time !
2 Green Woodpecker flew over together and a Curlew was heard calling from the direction of the river meadows.
Best of the rest were 4 Skylark, Buzzard.
Over the week the garden has been graced by the visits of at least 2 Spotted Flycatchers which have been catching prey within feet of us , fantastic !

Just a quick update, very hot and sunny and the best bird so far in the garden , a superb Spotted Flycatcher hunting in the garden ,so close you can hear its beak snap shut, total magic !

sunday 7/7/2013

What seemed like an age ago, I was finally back on the patch today. But first a couple of updates , the year is turning full circle with a flock of 15 Swallow on wires being the first sign of Autumn ! . On the patch itself a calling Little Owl was nice ,the first for quite awhile.
Sunday morning and I was out early , the local pair of Yellow Wagtails were in full swing with both birds seen carrying food.
 The hedges were busy with 6 Blackcap, 2 Chiffchaff, a calling Willow Warbler, a whooping 10 Whitethroat , and best of all a singing Garden Warbler .
 Overhead 10 plus Swallow and 15 plus House Martin were nice and 3 Buzzards and a male Kestrel got the raptors on the board.
In the fields were 4 Skylark, Red Legged Partridge, and 11 Stock Dove , also a Brown Hare showed briefly.
A  Cormarant  flew downriver .
 The patch list now stands at 82

Wednesday was just a fantastic to be out , and with news of a HOOPOE just up the road and me being on holiday I was out and ready to add the above to the patch list, needless to say that did not happen !
In the hedges were 4 Blackcap, 4 Chiffchaff, 3 Lesser Whitethroat, 6 Whitethroat, Willow Warbler and a nice female Bullfinch .
Swallows were more numerous than of late with 17 plus around but only 2 House Martin .Raptors were both male and female Kestrel and 3 Buzzards soaring overhead. The year showed the first sign of turning with the sighting of a flock of 10 plus Long Tailed Tits including a number of juvenile  birds .Other odds and sods were a Green Woodpecker, 4 Greater Spotted Woodpecker, Pied Wagtail (first for quite awhile),7 plus Stock Dove
 

Just a quick update ,its Tuesday and I have a day off , so it was a quick jaunt around the patch. It was a hot summer day and the usual suspects were around with singles of all the expected species and to be honest I was not going to put an update on but with the last birds seen being a family group of Lesser Whitethroats a quick update was necessary .

Windy ,cloudy and quite cool, another high summer day in Tirley , but sometimes the patch comes up with some really weird surprise" s and today was one of those days when at 8.30am I was shocked to see a Common Tern flying north towards the Malverns  over a wheat field , a great way to bring the patch list to 81.
In the hedges were 3 Blackcap, 6 Whitethroat ,a  singing Willow Warbler and just 2 Chiffchaff .
Overhead 8 Plus Swallow, 7 plus House Martin and a party of 7 Swift which drifted south west put in an appearance , also a family party of 3 Raven.
Birds of prey were 3 Buzzard and a pair of Kestrel at a nest site were welcome.
Skylarks are having a good year here this year with 5 singing today ,a male Yellow Wagtail flew over.
 The best of the rest were 4 Stock Dove, 2 Linnet and a Red Legged Partridge .
 The patch list now stands at 81.