There really hasn't been much to blog about recently. Life seems to be whizzing by without us actually seemingly achieving anything. Because of the current lockdown we've been restricted to exploring the lanes around the house. In reality its the border of my local patch so I'm recording sightings every day.
One advantage has been I now know where our local Yellowhammers seem to be roosting and can almost guarantee a sighting if I walk past a particular field as its getting dusk. At least 4 birds have been present n occasions suggesting the local breeding population is just about hanging on.
Torrential rain during storm Christoph resulted in floods in the village and lost of soggy fields. The pond opposite attracted a pair of Mute Swans and they seem to like it at the moment as they've stayed a week. A few days ago I heard a Coot flying over at night and the next day there were three back on the pond. They arrive to breed and then disappear again when the pond begins drying out after they've finished breeding.
The floods have also attracted a lot of gulls and searching through them I managed to find both an adult and 1st winter Med Gull. Always nice to see but unfortunately nothing rarer!
There have been hundreds of Black-headed Gulls and Common Gulls along with a few Herrings and a single Lesser black-backed Gull. The photo quality is poor as the photos are generally taken with the phone held up against the 'scope through a very rain soaked window!
With the daylight hours increasing and signs of spring, in the emerging Snow Drops and Winter Acanites, birds are beginning to sing and our local Mistle Thrush, Robins and Song Thrushes seem to be singing almost non stop. Other birds are beginning to explore potential nest sites and this Great Tit was spotted checking out one of our garden nest boxes.
The local Little Owl is proving elusive and keeps changing roost sites. I'm not sure if they're getting pushed out of their preferred tree by Grey Squirrels or Stock Doves (both have been seen entering the hole) but they've been seen roosting in our neighbours garden and at their old nest site. I woke one morning to the sound of the Little Owl calling very close and realised it was in next doors garden but it still took me an hour or so searching before I found it partially hidden in an old oak. The next day it was back outside its favoured haunt but hasn't been seen for a couple of days. We did see a pair of birds together so its good to now we may once again have a breeding pair.
Its been a good start to patch year listing and the arrival of a male Blackcap on the feeders has put the total up to 67. Not bad for an inland site.
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