It's been another week of gradually improving conditions. The rain over the last few days has been enough to push the floods to the next level and suddenly they're looking more substantial. In fact I'll probably start checking out the gull roost at last light this coming week. The Lapwings and Black-headed Gulls are loitering there on a daily basis and today after an absence of a few days the Teal were back with getting on for a hundred birds there. Mallard are there in good numbers though Wigeon have yet to make a return though I did see two pairs flying around above the floods today.
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| Lapwing are back in reasonable numbers now |
In terms of passerines there are large numbers of Linnets with plenty of Pied Wagtails, Meadow Pipits and Starlings all feeding away on the grass surrounding the floods. There have even been one or two Skylarks about most days. Today a Sparrowhawk made a low pass over the Meadow area and came away with a Linnet in it's talons.
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| There are still some flowers about on the Meadow with this Water Chickweed one of the more noticeable ones |
There's been much more activity overhead over the last few weeks with Fieldfare flying over the Meadow area regularly, regular Siskins, a single Snipe this week, regular Skylark and I heard another Redpoll over this week. The highlight this week however was a calling NUTHATCH (a year tick) that was back in the Medley Farm copse. This former Meadow rarity was regularly seen in this area for the last couple of years though so far it has been notable by its absence this year. Finally, there was a calling TAWNY OWL again near my house one night this week.
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| Normally I would have stopped mothing by now but it's so mild still that I've been keeping it up. The upper moth is The Brick and the lower is Red-green Carpet |
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