Old King Coal (sic) - Nursery Rhyme

A little behind again but with the overnight temperature having rocketed from the +4°C of the previous night to a scorching +7°C hopes were high as was the usual anticipation of the generator having continued to function across the whole period. Rounding that final dogs-leg along the track

LAMPS

were all burning brightly but the thoughts of Moths immediately fades on seeing the view before me.

COAL TIT

collecting nesting material

was a sight never witnessed before

so time was taken to get our fill

as the Moths were going nowhere!
With counts having more than doubled across the board on the previous there was the return of a

YELLOW HORNED

our second

PURPLE THORN
and

NUT-TREE TUSSOCK
this tiny

SLUG

with the addition to the Year List

of

HERALD 

from the home traps.

'BLACK' PHEASANT

is something of a scarcity here but considered an absolute cracker
especially in bright sunlight which was not the case on the day

and despite their origins and pedigree, while

c4

ROE DEER
as a collective

plus another Pheasant isn't exactly the norm.
Again from the

Airport Ballancing Pond
came the unmistakeable 'squeels' of one or more

WATER RAIL

which are thought far more likely to 'breed' than to be 'seen', the
first snaps of

REED BUNTING

on Home Turf this year, only our second 'seen'

GREY HERON
and yes, that is an

EGG

although there have only been what we consider to be c2 males, with us now doubting ourselves on all things

MUTE SWAN

 our evidence having been sent to higher authority for closer scrutiny!