Swallows Return

Date: 19/04/2016

Location: Patch - Newton St Loe

Weather: Blue skies and warm

Other Species: Chiffchaff, Green Woodpecker, Greater Spotted Woodpecker, 3 Buzzard, 1 Kestrel, Whitethroat (Male), Blackcap, Skylark, 7 Barn Swallow, Coal Tit - Of Note 
Butterflies: 3 Peacock, 2 Small White, 2 Tortoiseshell, 1 Brimstone.

Observation: 
With the light looking nice and not many birds on feeders apart from the Coal Tit.

And the always present Goldfinches

I had a spare hour so headed out through Bath Mill with Chiffchaff singing merrily along brook, and on Dog Track with at least 5 and Blackcap also in song. One particular Chiffy didn't seem to worry that I was stood 10ft from him.

And after many pictures of him decided to leave him to it .

Skylark although not as many as other years were up singing, 3 Euro Peacocks Butterflies flitting together along lane and the fields in full bloom of Oilseed Rape.

Then I heard a song I haven't heard this year, a Whitethroat !!

Didn't stay very still but patch tick (number 69!), 
Doing well this year, A record year? One can only hope !

A Kestrel and 3 Buzzards soaring on thermals not much else along towards Pennyquick.
But in Village good news, the Swallows have returned !!

The Barn Swallow have returned, there were just 2, this one having a good stretch and well deserved !

But numbers now up to 7, I'm sure more to arrive soon.

Hawking around horse fields and their voices a great sound to be heard !

 Although a short walk bird numbers good with 24 species seen. With also a Butterfly tick as well 1 Brimstone on Sunnybank (That's the bank just inside Bath Mill, off Newton Road) 
Total butterfly species this year on patch 6.

Thanks For Looking

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Adonis Blue makes it 41 !

Date: 27/08/2015

Location: Rodborough Common & Slimbridge

Weather: There wasn't snow! But rain, wind, thunder temp 12-20c

Other Species:

Rodborough: Redstart, Kestrel - Chalkhill Blue, Adonis Blue, Tortoiseshell, Small White.

Slimbridge: Common Sandpiper, Green Sandpiper, Greenshank, Buzzard, Ruff, Snipe.

Observations:With my trusted BBC Weather app saying sunshine thought I'd drive up Rodborough Common as Adonis Blue here day before, thanks to Twitter ! 

But the drive up soon turned wet and grey! On arriving a gap in the cloud and I was off over the Common saw a lovely Redstart but lens cap on camera !

Almost the first butterfly I saw was a Adonis Blue hiding in grass but now its raining !! 

Back to Van for coffee after 20 mins it stopped so back to where I saw Adonis, very few butterflies not surprising windy and the odd rumble of thunder !

Didn't find any more Adonis Blues but that one puts my Butterfly life list to 41 !

 Around 20 Chalkhill blues all landing low in grass :(

Clouding over again.

 Jumped in Van and started to drive to Slimbridge, that coffee I left on side has just fallen into my walking bag! Nice ;(

But it's now sunny, car park very full. Headed to Rushy Hide and a Common Sandpiper was scurrying in front of hide.

A Greenshank standing still looked nice in the sunshine.

Green Sandpipers of which there were 10+ were buzzing all over the place 

Also Ruff, Snipe, Lapwing, Greylags from the Rushy hide.

Last shot was Wednesday went for a walk there on My Site Here, while there thought I'd look for Silver Spotted Skipper, yeah right good job Met Office ! Again .

Thanks For Reading !

Newton Park Lake + Hirundinidaes

Date: 2nd August 2015 - Mid-Afternoon

Location:  Newton Park Lake - Circular (5 Miles)

Birds: 2 Buzzard, 7 Mute Swan, Crow, Jackdaw, Coot, Moorhen, 2 Grey Heron, 2 LBBG, 10+ House Sparrow, 10 Pied Wagtail (2 Broods), 50+ Barn Swallow, 5+ House Martin, Wood Pigeon, 2 Green Woodpecker, Greenfinch, Bullfinch, Goldfinch  - Of Note

Butterflies + Dragonflies: Comma, Large White, Small White, Red Admiral, Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock, Ringlet, Speckled Wood, Holly Blue, Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper, Common Darter, Migrant Hawker.

Mammal: 1 Roe Deer

Observation:  Realised haven't gone out to the Lake for around 4 weeks. Had a quick wander out through the Bath Mill (Campsite) the site is due to open 2 weeks today, so they have cracked on since our last visit and re-surfaced the road, finished planting all the flowers and laying the grass. Particularly quiet wildlife wise through the site due to ongoing work. Onto the Dog Walk a lovely 2-3 year old Male Roe Deer, bounded across in front of us. Moving around a lovely Common Darter perched on dried Cow Parsley.

Around the corner was a Holly Blue, closer than normal (normally Seven Acre Woods). At the Village, there were a surge of Barn Swallows and House Martin's flying around! Mostly this years young all waiting on wires in a line! At the Church, 2 Green Woodpeckers, were heard calling but we couldn't locate. Onto the Lake, still no Little Owls, getting concerned as haven't seen/heard since 16th April, they normally re-appear with chicks around July/August, but nothing yet, hopefully they will re-appear soon! Mute Swan and the 4 cygnets doing extremely well, and have moved to Bottom Lake, we weren't sure why!

Upon walking up to Top Lake, we counted 41 Mallard, but no doubt there were more hidden, it's safe to say the Mallard's have had a successful year this year on our patch!

2 Grey Heron (1 Juvenile) on the Shallows stalking in the mud. We walked back along the College Drive, lots of Crows and Jackdaw about in the fields. At the end of the Drive, we heard a Juvenile Buzzard calling, we couldn't locate him in the trees but Mum was soaring overhead. Back into the Village, we had another look at the House Martin's and Barn Swallows, they were all up this time, lovely to see the skies still full of Hirundinidaes. Perched on the wires we also counted 10! Pied Wagtails, looks like 2 separate broods, most we have ever seen at one time.

Weather:  Blue Sky, Sunny + Humid - 24°

Thanks For Looking !

Hawthorn Blossom & Number 2 Barn Swallows !

Date: 09/05/2015

Location: Newton St Loe Patch - Walk to lake

Observation: Headed out through busy campsite diggers workmen everywhere and onto dog track.

Hawthorn Blossom on entrance

Another tractor this time clearing trees that were cut down a few months back not until byway did I hear the Skylarks, up and singing. 

Terrible Buzzard shot always into the sun !!

Seven Acre 2 Buzzard 1 calling loudly from inside wood couldn't see it ! At least 50+ Crows, Rooks and Jackdaw on lower fields by globe pub. At village 1 Barn Swallow still sat lonely on telephone wire watched for 15 mins.

Calling for some company !

Then headed to lake a Willow Warbler on track to fisherman car park saw him Monday but no shot, today he posed ! 

Lake quiet Mute Swans top lake have lost their egg, laid Sunday we seen it on Monday, Thursday gone. Male was still chasing anything around off female off feeding but no egg ! :(

Predated? Very close to bank but since 2010 nest has been same place. 

Headed back to village and 2 Barn Swallows again watched 15 mins only 2 but there coming !! On way back home Chiffchaff.

Weather: Blue skies 18c 

Other Species: Buzzard, Willow Warbler, Barn Swallow, Goldcrest, Skylark, Chiffchaff of note.

Butterflies: Brimstone, Tortoiseshell, Peacock , Small White, Orange Tip, Comma

Thats All Folks :)

Yellowhammers + Swallows!

Date: 6th April - 1PM

Location:  Newton Park Lake + Village

Observation:  Alot quieter through the work in the campsite due to the Bank Holiday, so alot more bird song about! The Dog Walk produced 7+ Yellowhammer alot closer than normal which was nice! They all flew off and kept circling for about 10 minutes. There were the normal pair of Buzzards circling over Seven Acre Woods. Further down the lane, was another Buzzard who was hovering before chasing off a Raven!

 A Greater-Spotted Woodpecker in the Church area, with 2 further Buzzards and 1 Sparrowhawk hovering over the fields.

The resident Little Owl was present and enjoying the sun, the other of the pair is hopefully in the nest !

On the Top Lake, the resident Mute Swan was on the nest, with 1 egg laid (since last night!), hopefully will be a successful year again for them!

Walking back through the village this newly arrived Barn Swallow was resting up and preening before catching some flies in the farm! Lovely to see them back and about 2 weeks earlier than the previous 2 years!

A very low hovering Kestrel finished off the walk and gave some stunning views before diving down into the field!

Weather:  Blue Sky, Sunny + Warm

Other Species: 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Kestrel, 5 Buzzard, 7+ Yellowhammer, 1 Little Owl, 2 Raven, 1 Greater spotted Woodpecker, 1 Swallow, 4 Mute Swan (1 on nest) - Of Note

Butterflies: 10+ Brimstone, 2 Small White, 1 Coma, 3 European Peacock, 1 Small Tortoiseshell 

Late news Garden Spot -Orange Tip Butterfly 

Thanks For Looking !