3rd-4th May - The merits of patch watching

The start of May is a peak time for the migration of birds, and in normal times I would be on the coast in search of them. The lockdown has put a stop to this, but it means my patch (the village) is getting a lot more attention. Easy to see species at the coast are elevated to heart thumping levels here in the village.
   On the 3rd of May having finished on the allotment and about to stroll to the castle I looked up and was amazed to see a Short-eared owl flying low south then gaining height and heading west as a Crow started to mob it.
   Arriving at the Castle amid swarms of St Mark's flies I observed one different looking fly. Closer inspection revealed an Alder fly, its delicate lace like wings stunning when viewed close up. Alder flies are typically found near to water.  This is no surprise as they spend two years of their lives as nymphs underwater, emerging as adults at this time of year to mate and lay eggs on aquatic vegetation. The adult flies only live for a few days.

Alder fly

   Also down by the Castle I discovered a new flower for me. Nestled in the cracks and crevices of the walls the Rue-leaved saxifrage had made its home.

Rue-leaved saxifrage

   The 4th of May started and ended well. On awaking at 6am the first birds I saw as I opened the front door were two Arctic terns flying south over the cottage.  Three Common swifts lingering over the street and two Grey herons heading west were the other avian highlights of the day.
   The good ending came at 9.30pm with the sights and sounds of three Tawny owls perched on telegraph poles opposite the cottage.

Sun burst through the clouds

23rd April - Another Tawny encounter

A lovely sunny evening prompted a stroll around the local lanes. The golden yellow blaze of oil seed rape is dominating many fields and its distinctive aroma filled our nostrils for the majority of our walk.

Oil seed rape field 

The field edges and hedgerows were buzzing with insect life while Skylarks filled the air with their joyous songs.

Hairy shield bug

Yellow-legged nomad bee

The highlight of the walk came in the woodland strip near Tuppeney Grove. We had both stopped to observe a female Chaffinch sat calling, when completely unseen by us a Tawny owl flew from its daytime roosting spot about a metre away from the Chaffinch.  I had a rough idea where the Tawny had landed further down the lane.  It was now time to let other birds do the work of finding it for us.  Most birds have an inbuilt fear of owls and upon locating one they will scold and sometimes mob them, and so it was the case on this occasion: Great tit, Blackbird and Chaffinch all started alarm calling in the same small patch of the woods.  A careful scan (with binoculars) of the area soon had us looking at a lovely Tawny owl. The Tawny was equally interested in us staring down at us with those big black forward facing eyes.

Sunset