Saturday 14 April 2012

MIGRANTS STILL MOVING

Went for a quick dash around early evening and found the earlier Yellow Wagtail ( or is this another one !)with a flock of 40 plus Pied Wagtail , also 20 plus Meadow Pipit . Both Willow and my wife were not impressed , but I tried to export some of my enthuiasm all the same A House Martin over Tewkesbury was my first trhis spring so our local birds can"t be far away .
Spring is spinging, I had a feeling today might a good day, and in the event I was not wrong, as soon as I had stepped out the door I could hear singing Chiffchaff, Blackcap and Willow Warbler , the latter being a spring and autumn passagge migrant in the local vicinity , but breeding just down the road at Ashleworth and in the flood meadows . There was 10 Linnet today, also 2 Ravens calling and flying low around the area. It was good to see and hear at least 9 Skylarks, a confused Little Owl called a couple of times and 6 Buzzards soared overhead. It was nice to see a flock of 14 migrant Meadow Pipits , we will soon not see anymore until late August /early September, 6 Stock Dove were on territories, just 1 Pied Wagtail over. The best birds came towards the end of the walk, with a pair of Yellowhammer in the same area that they bred last year , the male being splendid in the brightest yellow. Swallow were passing over and it appears that the first local birds are back, with a total of 8 being seen this morning. A Greater Spotted Woodpecker was calling from a dead tree, but this was eclisped by the two male Wheatears on fence posts , one of my favourite birds , finally 1 Yellow Wagtail flew over north calling. It could be even better tommorrow , but I"m going to take a early morning look at Ashleworth Ham,maybe the first Whitethroats and House Martins will be back in Tirley tommorrow, lets see in the morning