Some of our early migrants are in with the odd Wheatear,
Chiffchaff and Sand Martin and even a few Swallow noted yesterday in Dorset and
a Swift and scarce Red-rumped Swallow on the Isles of Scilly but the ariel insect
feeders will be having a hard time finding food because there are very few
insects around at the moment and these condition are forecasted to go on for at
least another week. Considering this time last year when temperatures were in
the 20’s and shorts were the dress of the day.
The Blackcaps that frequent the garden over the winter here
have usually migrated back east by now but they are still here although
blackbird and Chaffinch numbers are down suggesting they have moved out in to
their breeding areas?The local Blue and Great Tits are busy investigating the nest boxes here but no sign of any nest material being taken in yet.
A lot of fields around are flooded again and conditions underfoot are quite soggy so we may get a few waders showing up, still quite a few Golden Plover around Cholsey hill and the Moreton floods but Lapwing numbers are down but Redwing and Fieldfare still around in good numbers.
I have noticed one of The Carrion Crows collecting nesting
material (moss) yesterday so they are building and the Rookery nearby is in
full swing and it looks as though some are sitting on eggs.
Two Song Thrush, the Pheasant, two Stock Dove and a Moorhen
are still visiting the garden along with the other regulars and a pair of
Moorhen seen mating in the meadow recently.
Just a note on House Sparrows here at Marymead, there is a
small population of around a dozen birds. I hear them often, they visit a few
feeders in the front of Marymead and are frequently in a neighbour’s garden just
20 metres from all the feeders but very rarely are seen visiting them where most
of all the other birds feed and I cannot figure out why yet.
A reminder of days when the sun shone!
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