After the third and most potent storm of the week lashed at us yesterday, today's contrast was waking up to a Spring morning. An overnight frost lead to clear blue skies and only a slight breeze. A large Silver Birch in the garden (which was probably on it's last innings anyway) is now uprooted and at a 45 degree angle supported only by the boundary hedge and will need attending to.
Despite the hangover ! I went for a walk this morning from the house thinking that we may not get many mornings like this. It was beautiful and the air was filled with birdsong, mainly
Song Thrushes with backup in the
Robins. Dunnocks and
Wrens, as the Blackbirds haven't started yet, but he Song Thrush population here seems to be doing well. The expected species appeared slowly,
Nuthatch, Great-spotted Woodpecker, Green Woodpecker, Siskin, Bullfinch, Long-tailed Tit and
Marsh Tit with the commoner birds.
2 Years ago I had a pair of Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers in a copse on this walk throughout the Spring, and it is exactly a morning like today and the time of year when you would expect the male to be drumming. Sadly, I had no joy again at this site, I will keep trying around here but I do wonder what's happening to this species obvious decline.
I approached the Furnace Pond thinking that Mandarins may have returned but only found 14
Mallards with the
Grey Wagtail being near the outfall as usual. I saw 4
Linnets in the big arable field where a week ago there must have been 20 birds and a single
Mistle Thrush in song.
It was very muddy in parts and several trees had come down particularly the shallow routed pines in the plantations.
Back at home I viewed the horizon for an hour around midday a calling just when the raptors were active. Firstly a
Yellowhammer flew over (which is only the second time I've seen this here). Then an impressive tower of 11
Common Buzzards making the most of the early thermals, then a
Red Kite drifted north, a
Peregrine passed high overhead and a male
Sparrowhawk visited the garden.
Siskin number have built up again to over 20 birds with 7
Goldfinches but I haven't seen the Redpolls for 2 weeks now.
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| Stunning view down the lane before 8am |
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| The Furnace pond held 14 Mallards but was otherwise rather duckless. |
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| The streams were brimming, but flowing well. |
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| The pine plantations had suffered badly in the winds |
Some record shots of distant birds from the garden..
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| Red Kite |
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| Peregrine |
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| One of a pair of Ravens |
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