The Kids are Alright - The Who

 Another morning, another 'Chopper' a

MERLIN
we believe, for no other reason than for a CHANGE we covered the usual ground in reverse order, with yet another failure at the Sewerage Woeks not being able to coax a much hoped for Black Redstart out of cover. The plan however did have its reward as plying the banks of the Moors River to find onlt this

MUTE SWAN
keeping its head above the parapit, while at the junction with the bridleway unfamiliar calls from above was soon recognised as that of a

MARSH TIT
which once was thought to breed here, but gone are the days.

We did record a single last year after a drought of 4 years but the days find may have included as many as 3 individuals? while the Solar Panel Compound fielded on the expected a handful of

STARLINGs

ditto
MEADOW PIPITs

STONECHAT
keeping the 'Panels Cleaning Team' in business and en-route to the
Gravel Pit

what we are calling
SELF-HEAL
in certainty that if incorrect we will be put right.

At the Gravel Pit and totally expected the

COOTs
were starting to engage in this pre-nuptual sparring

with the dominant male standing on a totally submerged female.
Unfortuneately the ritual didn't last long enough for a video clip, but we are working on it,

while to capture a pair of GADWALL in company with c3 LITTLE GREBE
was something of a miracle in itself! All else there was this

PIED WAGTAIL
with a second feeding at the

newly formed puddle.
Penultimately, there was no more than a fleeting glimps down south at the

ASH STUMP
of a second sighting this year of a / the

LITTLE OWL
which looked promising with images from the archive, and finally a short visit from 2 of the former Appretices who's interests were stifled by the covid outbreak.

Sofie and Josh, but an absent Oliver.
4 years ago taking to the Moths like Ducks to water.