Getting cooler

Mostly cloudy, 22°, light SW.

Thankfully we have had some rain over the past week, still need more.

Not been out walking for a week or so due to tweaking my Achilles tendon and making it painful to walk.

Decided to put the Trailcam out to see what turns up in the garden.

Have been doing a spot of sky watching in the mid-evening and have been seeing good numbers of House Martin moving over and heading south. Today, 75+, yesterday 100+.

Have had a Painted Lady still visiting the garden but the Hummer has not been seen recently

A few video clips from the last few days of the garden trail cam.

Busy Garden

Cloudy then rain, 8°, fresh SSE.

A windy and wet day and not particularly fond of birding in those conditions, so a watch kept on the garden and a busy garden it was!

A lot more Finches today, the usual Tit flocks with associated species including Coal Tit, Treecreeper, Great-spotted Woodpecker (2), Green Woodpecker and a few House Sparrow.

Raptors +

Sunny spells, 20º, light NW.

Lollingdon and the Lees.

A day of raptors today, 3 Kestrels and a Peregrine Falcon near Lollingdon Hill, then a field of recently cut oil seed rape had 21 Red Kites and 3 Buzzards in or over it, in addition Sparrowhawk and Hobby seen.
Yellowhammers still singing, had around 7, also a few Reed Buntings and 2 Corn Buntings.

Several (8) Whitethroats seen (a few carrying food) and 2 Chiffchaffs but other warblers not very conspicuous at the moment although a Blackcap singing in the meadow early this morning.
Several Sedge and 1 Reed Warbler seen along the course of an overgrown stream.

A Yellow Wagtail seen feeding fledged young.

Approximately 15 Stock Doves noted out near Lollingdon and a few Skylarks.

A single Black-headed Gull on the playing field with a few Wood Pigeon.

Both Green and Great-spotted Woodpeckers seen and heard.

Only dragonfly seen today was a Brown Hawker.

Butterflies, Large and Small White, Common Blue, Ringlet, Gatekeeper, Brimstone, Peacock, Small Tortoiseshell, Comma, Speckled Wood, Meadow Brown.

♂ Great-spotted Woodpecker in garden, that make 3 separate individuals visiting.

Although muddy underfoot some streams and ditches are low or dried up.

                            13 Red Kites, another 8 were on the deck

                                          Sedge Warbler

                                          Large White

                                          Common Blue

                                           Peacock

                                           Yellow Wagtail

                                          Dunnock