Odds and Ends

I have been out and about to some of my regular places but have seen very little of note. A reeling Grasshopper Warbler made a brief appearance at Harrington Airfield. We have continued to feed the birds there but the numbers and species have greatly reduced. Plenty of Yellowhammers and Chaffinch.  Willow Warblers are still singing well and in reasonable numbers whereas every bush seems to have a Whitethroat calling from it.

Pitsford Reservoir has been very quiet as is the Valley area below Hanging Houghton, that is until this evening.  I had taken the dogs on ramble as it was such a beautiful evening and very still. I had seen several Grey Partridge, Barn Owl, Hobby and Cuckoo as well as Roe Deer and a family of foxes. I was heading back towards home and thought I'd do some training with the young collies so I was practicing their "sit and stay" whilst I walked on ahead. All was going well until I heard the unmistakable call of a Quail coming from the crops. I told them to stay whilst I went a bit closer and loitered just on the off chance it might break cover. After about 15 minutes nothing showed and I realised that the 2 collies were still sitting where I had left them, amazing self control for those two so a hefty reward of sausages was called for.

As I mentioned,  it has been quiet for a while in the County both with birds and butterflies. Hopefully with predicted changes in the wind direction and slight rise in temperatures we may see some new activity.  Eric has been watching Titchmarsh  where there have been hundreds of hirundines  and the Sand Martin Wall has been very active. There is still a Nightingale singing well and other birds include Oystercatcher, Hobby and Peregrine.

Other birds noted in the county over the last few days include Marsh Harrier, Sanderling,  Black Tern and Cattle Egret.

Watching the birds in the garden continues to be both entertaining and stressful. I could watch the antics of the young Starlings all day as they are so entertaining,  much better than any TV. They are eating me out of house and home and their constant chattering is deafening at times. There has also been a young independent Blackbird in garden but it soon became clear that he/she had absolutely no sense danger and during a Sparrowhawk attack on the Starlings it just sat in the middle of the lawn trying to peck up. I found myself regularly doing a welfare check on this Blackbird. Sadly during another Sparrowhawk attack he was snatched before my very eyes before I could do anything about it. I felt quite sad but I did think that he wasn't going to make it to adulthood.  But that is the  harsh reality for these young birds. Several folk who I have spoken to recently have reported clutches of young tits dying in their nest boxes. I suspect that these have died as a result of the cold, wet and windy weather. 

Fingers crossed that things will start to improve and that we can all enjoy some warmer weather and good wildlife sightings 

Regards Eleanor 

Lime Hawk-moth courtesy
of Dave Jackson.

Hobby courtesy
of Robin Gossage.

Dorset Dartford Warbler
courtesy of John Gamble.