Saturday 7 June 2008

It was dry and cool this morning at 06:30 when I left for a four hour walk round my patch. It was hard going trying to find summer migrants, but eventually CHIFFCHAFF, BLACKCAP,WILLOW WARBLER, CUCKOO,COMMON and LESSER WHITETHROAT, were seen or heard, the latter was the first this month. Most of my efforts were spent trying to find confirmation of breeding from NUTHATCH or Treecreeper, but I didn't even see a Treecreeper! The Nuthatch was seen carrying sunflower hearts away though.
A short skywatch over migrant alley produced HERRING and LESSER BLACK BACKED GULL and a GREY HERON, and around the edge of the maize field a KESTREL hunted. 48 species was a good total for June, and had either of the geese showed up or the Long Tailed Tit 50 would have been easily achievable.
whilst watching the garden, I saw the first SPOTTED FLYCATCHER this month, on a fence over on the sheep pasture to the front of the house, I havn't seen this species since seeing pair in the college grounds, back in mid May. Also had the good fortune of seeing a Kestrel alight at the very top of the tree that overhangs my garden, it dived down after a BLUE TIT fledgling but missed!

Kestrel Hunting over my garden.
It didn't get a meal............this time.

The only Damselfly to be seen was this Common Blue (thanks Steve).


4 comments:

John Young said...

You must have a good garden Warren, you see some good stuff in it. I've tried for a few years to create my own garden meadow but it usually ends up in failure. I just can't give it the time it needs.

Steve said...

Hi Warren....are you sure that is not a Common Blue Damsel rather than an Azure? What does everyone else think?

Warren Baker said...

Steve,
actually I did think it was a common blue! but i was being lazy and just assumed it was an azure. I even looked in my dragonfly book, and still went for azure. I agree with you though ;-)

lee said...

amazing photos of the kestrel warren we saw one on the ground only 10yards from us at hartlakebridge today i love being so close too raptors it allways happens when i dont have a camera with me