I'm still in Braintree, and it was an early morning walk around Hoppit Mead Nature Reserve, before heading back to the house for another day of painting.
Additional birds to my Braintree list were Common Buzzard, Sparrowhawk, Moorhen, Thrush, Long-tailed Tit and Jay.
Mammals Recorded:
2 Grey Squirrels
One of two Grey Squirrels in the reserve
Birds Recorded today:
1 Little Egret
2 Sparrowhawk
2 Buzzards
Black-headed Gull
Herring Gull
Lesser Black-backed Gull
2 Moorhen
Wood Pigeon
Collared Dove
Dunnock
Robin
Blackbird
Song Thrush
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Long-tailed Tit
Wren
5 Jay
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Siskin (heard)
Goldfinch
Plants Recorded:
Ted:
Wood Pigeon
Collared Dove
Dunnock
Robin
Blackbird
Song Thrush
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Long-tailed Tit
Wren
5 Jay
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Siskin (heard)
Goldfinch
Most likely the same Little Egret I saw yesterday. This time it was a little further down the River Brain.
A record shot of one of the two Sparrowhawks chasing each other in the woods.
A Buzzard soaring over the reserve. Another Buzzard was close-by.
A Moorhen on the River Brain.
Two Woodpigeons asleep in an Alder (Alnus glutinosa)
A Long-tailed Tit collecting nesting material.
Strange to think that yesterday there were no Jay's along this particular walk. But today there were five.
Cedar (Cedrus sp.)
The huge conifer at the back I believe is a Cedar.
I'm not sure which species it is, but here are this years cones beginning to form
Ted waiting for me as usual.