The Young Ones - Cliff Richard

Thursday night featured a storm of thunder and lightning accompanied by almost continuous heavy rain and a fresh breeze, not conducive with the well being of any young birds let alone our Little Ringed Plover Family. Arrival at the Solar Panel Compound was a little later than usual, given the continuing rain slowing early attention to the Moth Traps, with some of the Insects already a-flutter due to the rapidly increasing temperature. Indication of at least one parent bird, by 'call', is usually apparent before releasing the padlock on the gate but, yesterday morning this was met by silence. Yes, it was the Mother Hen Syndrome creeping up on me again but, well founded, after a 30 minutes scan of the breeding area drew a blank! To bring up the full hour other areas, such as the gravel paths between the rows of panels, were also searched and only at the last knocking's did an adult fly into view. Stationing the St-Range Rover close by the wait was short but the news was BAD, in fact VERY BAD as another of the youngsters was absent.

LITTLE RINGED PLOVER

In a completely different part of the compound

the remaining couple were sticking close to the parent bird.

Since the last encounter they had noticeable increased in size
and already traces of the Yellow Orbital Eye-rings are starting to show.

SIX-LEGGED PLOVER
has not yet been described to science.

Just look at the size of those feet!

Just an indication of how close these tiny Waders are prepared to venture!
(note the wing-mirror)

So eventually we were able to get back to study yesterday's record catch.

The most Species and the most Individuals so far this Year

58 and 311.

Among them

both sexes (male left) of
GHOST SWIFT
as some authorities like to call them.

 SHARK

 BORDERED STRAW

ORANGE FOOTMAN

 

 CREAM-BORDERED GREEN PEA

 WILLOW BEAUTY

RED-GREEN CARPET

There follows a series of stills taken over the past couple of days
mostly of
The Young Ones.

After quite a long time

the return to

Parley Pond

of

GREY HERON
clip.

GREENFINCH

appear to have done very well here

with no sign of the disease that plagues them elsewhere.

c5 'flying juveniles'

on the Heath

was considered a significant find!

The pair of
COOT
at the Irrigation Pond have already had 2 attempts at nesting.

The first was simply abandoned, the second eggs were 'kicked out'
of the nest so let's hope these c7 fair much better.

Another much smaller brood of 

CANADA GEESE

at the Gravel Pit while this female

MALLARD
has been plying between here and the Irrigation Pond

with her brood of c9.

LINNET

Female

STONECHAT

keeps a watchful eye over her

youngsters while young

STARLING

sometimes as many as 200 favour the feeding areas beneath the
Panels and the safe'ish perches above.

 Only 6 youngsters this year from T6B and his missus

after last years record 8!

 MUTE SWAN CYGNETS

.

and a break from all those feathers the
Young ALPACA feeding from its Mother.

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