Sunday 27 July 2014

A Golden Sunday

Willow and I were out by just after 6am , me being having been woken by the gentle call of a Bullfinch outside the bedroom window .
It was a tad colder today although still warm , and the birds that were around had seemed to have moved on ,but there were a few new arrivals.
Overhead 12 plus Swallows whizzed around they all seemed to local birds .They were joined by 6 local House Martins and a further 8 birds that flew over at height in a single flock heading south west.
There were still 3 Kestrel on the patch ,one been seen to take a small rodent and devour atop a telegraph pole. . There were a least 4 Buzzards  ,2 being mewing juveniles calling constantly.
A Raven was herd distantly as was the usual invisible Green Woodpecker , also about were  4 Greater Spotted Woodies.
A single Cormorant  passed downriver heading towards the estuary ,after a paucity of records I am starting to see them again on a regular basis.
Along the hedgerows this morning were 5 Chiffchaff (still no Willows ) , 4 Blackcap and a good count of 6 Whitethroat. Here"s hoping that we get a good run on the warbler front this Autumn.
On the pasture were a Red Legged Partridge with 4 recently mobile chicks ,6 Stock Dove and 2/3 Skylarks.
 The Linnets have gone with just a couple of birds seen today.
The patch looked in fine fettle today with the sun shining on the golden Maize and the recently mown grassland ,it was a really beautiful English summers morning and a privilege to be out and about.