It was another glorious day, and it's definitely getting warmer. After the cloud cover pushed further to the north, it left a bright sunny day with wall to wall blue skies.
After the early morning influx of Spring Migrants arriving at the Bill, I seemed to be doing pretty well on my patch with those same birds moving through late morning.
Today I was treated to:
Swallow - Two over The Cuttings
Meadow Pipit - Two heading north over the butterfly reserve
Common Redstart - A male on the butterfly reserve
Reed Warbler - A lone bird singing on the butterfly reserve
Common Whitethroat - One on the butterfly reserve and another in Wakeham Meadow
Blackcap - 3 Wakeham Meadow, 2 Lower Horse Paddock, at least 7 on the butterfly reserve, 3 Mermaid Track and 3 Wakeham Railway Cuttings
Chiffchaff & Willow Warbler - 40+ everywhere and both singing
Goldcrest - Two Wakeham Railway Cuttings
Firecrest - One in Broadcroft Quarry Lane again
After the early morning influx of Spring Migrants arriving at the Bill, I seemed to be doing pretty well on my patch with those same birds moving through late morning.
Today I was treated to:
Swallow - Two over The Cuttings
Meadow Pipit - Two heading north over the butterfly reserve
Common Redstart - A male on the butterfly reserve
Reed Warbler - A lone bird singing on the butterfly reserve
Common Whitethroat - One on the butterfly reserve and another in Wakeham Meadow
Blackcap - 3 Wakeham Meadow, 2 Lower Horse Paddock, at least 7 on the butterfly reserve, 3 Mermaid Track and 3 Wakeham Railway Cuttings
Chiffchaff & Willow Warbler - 40+ everywhere and both singing
Goldcrest - Two Wakeham Railway Cuttings
Firecrest - One in Broadcroft Quarry Lane again
Mammals Recorded:
2 Grey Squirrel
1 Brown Rat
2 Grey Squirrel
1 Brown Rat
One of the two Grey Squirrels seen today
3 Buzzard
2 Kestrel
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Wood Pigeon
Collared Dove
2 Swallow
2 Meadow Pipit
Dunnock
Robin
1 Common Redstart
Blackbird
Song Thrush
1 Reed Warbler
2 Common Whitethroat
18+ Blackcap
2 Swallow
2 Meadow Pipit
Dunnock
Robin
1 Common Redstart
Blackbird
Song Thrush
1 Reed Warbler
2 Common Whitethroat
18+ Blackcap
40+ Chiffchaff & Willow Warbler
1 Goldcrest
1 Firecrest
Long-tailed Tit
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Linnet
Goldfinch
Greenfinch
1 Goldcrest
1 Firecrest
Long-tailed Tit
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Linnet
Goldfinch
Greenfinch
#1 There were a few Buzzards over Wakeham today.
#2 - Buzzard
#3 Buzzard
A Collared Dove
I've done pretty well with Common Redstarts. This is......
...........my third male this Spring.
It was a good day for Blackcaps.
In total I recorded a good 18, with...........
.............all of them being males!
Below are a selection of images of both Willow Warblers and Chiffchaffs.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Both these Goldcrests were feeding..........
.............along the Wakeham Railway Cuttings
A Long-tailed Tit along Bumpers Lane
Reptiles Recorded:
Common Lizard
Butterflies Recorded:
2 Large White
2 Speckled Wood
1 Peacock
Common Lizard
Butterflies Recorded:
2 Large White
2 Speckled Wood
1 Peacock
My first Speckled Wood of the year.
And then my second.
Bees Recorded:
Honey Bees (Apis mellifera)
Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)
Red-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius)
Ashy Mining Bee (Andrena cineraria)
Yellow-legged Mining Bee (Andrena flavipe)
Cliff Mining Bee (Andrena thoracica)
My first Ashy Mining Bee of Spring
Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris)
Hoverflies Recorded:
At least 5 different species noted.
Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded:
Yellow Dung Fly (Scathophaga stercoraria)
Bugs and Beetles Recorded:
1 Common Green Shieldbug (Palomena prasina)
A Common Green Shieldbug
Woodlouse sp.
A Woodlouse sp.
General Shots:
Broadcroft Quarry Butterfly Reserve
Wakeham Railway Cuttings
Ted:
A few Teds today
