August 4th

A few showers here and there dampened this mornings walk just slightly but the rain was only light. The LITTLE OWL was again on the fence posts by the overflow car park, 14 SWALLOWS lined the wires and were joined for a split second by a WILLOW WARBLER which thought better of it and flitted back to the hawthorn. The only other bird of note in the car park was a SPOTTED FLYCATCHER. A few LINNETS and GOLDFINCHES were almost always being seen or heard throughout the walk, alighting on various birch trees and bushes. The lake produced only a calling TREECREEPER and a few MALLARD. Whilst checking the skies this morning 22 BLACK HEADED GULLS flew either south or north, 7 south and 15 north, also 4 HERRING GULLS went north. A KESTREL hovered for a short time over the barley and a SPARROWHAWK flew by with something safely gripped in it's talons! The highlights round the hedges were another SEDGE WARBLER and a LESSER WHITETHROAT, the latter being the first for a week or two. It was a bit cool and early in the day for butterflies but a few Gatekeepers were attempting get out and about but best of all was my first Painted Lady here this year, which struggled out of the grass and headed off over the wheat field, I had one at Dunge earlier in the year, which is the only other one I've come across. Steve has been checking the moths and he had a Jersey Tiger yesterday morning, which is new for the site and this morning a Gold Spot was new for the year. Hopefully when the computer is sorted, there will be some pics. of these.