A bout of insomnia meant I was out and about walking down to the castle at 5am. The songs of Blackbird, Song thrush, Wren, Robin, Chiffchaff and Blackcap accompanied me on my way.
A pleasant but cold walk produced some good birds and a nice selection of mammals.
Birds:
Tawny owl x1
Barn owl x1
Common buzzard x7
Kestrel x1
Green woodpecker x1
Great-spotted woodpecker x2
Bullfinch x3
Common whitethroat x2 (1st of year)
Blackcap x7
Willow warbler x1 (1st of year)
Chiffchaff x9+
Fieldfare x1
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| Primrose |
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| Primrose (garden variant) |
Although Tawny owls are the most common of our 6 resident species of owl they are also the most nocturnal and thus difficult to see. It was great therefore to see one well in daylight.
Also nice to hear and see were 2 returning Warbler species (Common whitethroat and Willow warbler).
One of the 3 Bullfinches seen was a lovely male who looked all the more gaudy as his backdrop was the pure white blossom of a Blackthorn tree.
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| Lesser celandine |
Mammals:
Red fox x1
Brown hare x1
Roe deer x1
Muntjac deer x2
Chinese water deer x1
Later in the day I was told of a stunning looking male Black redstart in a neighbour's garden. This was only my 3rd in the village, the 2nd being a female I found in the allotments on 1st April this year.
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| Sunset |
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