Tuesday 20 April 2021

It's a Linnet In-It?

 With early morning temperatures still kissing Zero it still does not seem to be detering the Moths with 18 Insects of 8 species still gracing the traps and producing

SCARCE PROMINENT
(just before release) by way of a 'first for the year' and a small resugence of
YELLOW HORNED
after a couple of weeks absence.
Otherwise, there was a sprinkling of interest but not before making the now daily morning visit to
Mister and Mister
MUTE SWAN
with their prospective 7 cygnets letting the Sun do much of the incubating and it has now been 23 days since this lone
CANADA GOOSE
took up this low-necked posture at the Irrigation Pond. Surely it must have had a streatch- but we have not witnessed it. We encountered quite a 'fall' of
ROBINs
counting 23 during our first circuit but not alone in this there were also higher than average numbers of the likes of
BLACKBIRD
in double figures
c13
male
WHEATEAR
with a single
elusive and unsnapable female while the still solo
REED BUNTING
at the Balancing Pond continues the mission
to secure himself a mate.
LINNETs
are now the most numerous of the passerines now with still plenty of vocals,
nest building activities along with males 'rosying' up those little breasts.
On the way back the Moors River threw up
some thing of an optical illusion
as this
LITTLE EGRET
that looked to have the proportions and stance of a
Great White Egret
and it isn't unusual for Birds to fly off the very second you get them in focus
but rarely fielding a replacement so quickly
COMMON BUZZARD and MAGPIE
All of the ponds here have been close to devoid of Watererfowl this year with nothing displaying, let alone nest building, so on our return it was refreshing to find this female
TUFTED DUCK
on the Gravel Pit doing an impression of a lady
Scaup
with the white forehead.