'Till May (Blossom) Is Out which it certainly is here.
Now returned to the
PARLEY POND
There
has been time for a couple of sorties since my return but little reward
for the miles covered. Like, it would seem, everywhere else along the
South Coast uncommon birds have been uncommon while migrants, with a
couple of notable exceptions, have also been in short supply.
A favoured 'beat' along the River Stour where Reed Bunting and
Cetti's Warbler have been found in reasonable numbers, but so far
Sedge Warbler have are still absent.
MALLARD and BLACK-HEADED GULL rest on a floating log.
On the plus side Trees and other Vegetation appear to be in
fine fettle, with no signs of disease.
OAK
WILLOW
High flying Common Buzzard,
carpets of BUTTERCUPs covering every meadow,
and a low flying PHEASANT.
Barley and Maize were sown the day before I left for Weymouth,
just 2 weeks ago, since when both have grown 6 inches.
LAPWING
also
present a game of two halves, with 2 pairs still in attendance and look
to be 'sitting'. On the other hand, during spraying operations last
week 2 chicks were encountered and given a wide berth only to 'fall' to a
Common Buzzard later in the day.
ASH
Always a huge bonus to meet up with Mousie the Game Keeper
when here and catch up with tales from the wild side.
He showed me the newly planted Game Crop, not intended
exclusively for 'game' birds, bordering many of the fields and
beneficial to all other birds as well.
With that a distant
GREY PARTRIDGE
appeared, origins unknown as they don't 'put them down' here.
A small stand of ASH saplings
and HORSES CHESTNUT of about the same age.
