After shirking my patch-watching duties for a couple of days, I arrived this morning around 7am, hoping that loads of things had arrived over the last couple of days!! Obviously they hadn't, despite feeling slightly autumnal, it is after all, only just passed the middle of July.
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| Yellowhammer in full song |
MAGPIES were making a bit of a racket and as I rounded the first hedge a LITTLE OWL flew out which probably explained the noise. BLACKBIRDS were also noisy a bit further up the car park, maybe a young Owl was sitting tight there somewhere, as they have in previous years. A CHIFFCHAFF and a BULLFINCH both called nearby. GREEN WOODPECKERS were heard throughout the walk and were seen at various points flying across a few of the open spaces and disappearing over hedges. The local SWALLOWS had either fledged a couple more young or been joined by some wandering individuals as there were 12 birds in the air over the veg garden today, where the maximum has been about 8 for a week or so. A SPOTTED FLYCATCHER was still catching insects in the garden and commuting back to a hidden nest. I missed out the lake this morning but in the moat were some very young MALLARD ducklings and a mother keeping a close eye, something there has been shortage of here this year. It was still only a small family of 5 or 6 but the largest number we've had so far.
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| Blue Tailed Damselfly |
The hedgerows beckoned again, there was no real change from the Friday visit apart from HOUSE SPARROW numbers had risen to over 30 birds, YELLOWHAMMER and REED BUNTING were still well represented but there was still no sign of any skulking Groppers or Sedge Warblers.
Heading back up the hedgerow towards the garden 11 GREYLAGS flew over and the Swallows started sounding a bit agitated, which drew my attention to a HOBBY which flew over the bridleway and off towards Frittenden.
I took a quick walk at lunchtime today in the field behind our warehouse and took a few shots.
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| Cinnabar moth caterpillar |
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| and again |
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| Teasel with Bumblebee |
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| Brown Argus |
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| Gatekeeper |
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| Bee on Vetch (unfortunately I don't know my Bees!) |
It was quite a productive little walk!!
7 comments:
Very productive. I love the Yellowhammer, the only time I saw one, it was on the Isle of Mull, but I can't get one down in the west country.
Bullfinch twice today Al: once on the way to work at 7.30am and again on the way home at 2.30. Always a treat but twice in one day is spoiling me! Plus a speckled wood, only my second. Like the teasel pic, keep meaning to get some for the garden. I love them; remind me of my childhood garden.
"It was quite a productive little walk!!"
It was, Alan. More productive than what my patch has been of late.
Hi Bob, we are pretty lucky with Yellowhammers here if not even a bit spoilt!
Hi Rach, Thanks, Great to see the Bullfinches and pick up Speckled Wood, your walks to and from work look they could be quite productive.
Hi Dean, I haven't walked the field behind where I work for ages, I think I should do it more often :-) Hopefully things will pick up soon.
Ive got one of those Teasels in my garden Alan, just waiting for it to ripen up, then get the classic goldfinch photo :-)
Muy buenas fotos macro
SALUDO
Hi Warren, That photo is just waiting to happen ;-)
Hola Juan, le agradece por su comentario
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