The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway - Genesis

 With foot firmly in mouth, yes conditions did get worse with the overnight temperature bottoming out at Zero but again not effecting the Dawn Chorus! Amoung that there were 2 tiny birds at about 30 feet feeding in the margins so just took a snap to see if they could be identified later. Still not 100% but leaning on the side of

WHITETHROAT
(maybe Bomber and / or John might give me a bell, E-Mail duff, with their oppinion)

 Again, despite the 'zero' there were Moths in all Traps, no First for the Year but represented by

TWIN-SPOTTED QUAKER

along with

CHESTNUT

at the very best and while exiting the Solar Panel Compound found the first

ESCAPEE LAMB
(you'll note the Solar Panels are the other side of the fence!
It had been practice in the past to phone the Shepherdess on such occassions but she insisted that they would find there own way back.

This was true in part but my concerns were still that a wanderer might just get to thr main road and cause havoc!!!! Plenty of Bird Song first brought

NUTHATCH
to the Day List followed in the same area by

this pair of obliging

BLACKCAP

c2 vocal
GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKERs

between our first couple of clumps of May Blossom inspiring us to start casting

 'CLOUTS' 

without delay.

All that was recorded across both ponds were these c2

CANADA GEESE
with the 'float' being an unlikely nesting site but we'd like to see that happen!
Long before we are likely to there was the matter of heading back south with,
'unbeknown' as yet the 2 surprises that did lay in store.

Firstly therse 2
RED-LEGGED PARTRIDGE

which were considered long gone from this area only having seen the lone bird up north for a number of years. While maybe in a similar league a most unexpected and maybe rather tardy 

FIELDFARE

Looking as though still 'Bunkering' for the long flight back to
Northern Europe?

 

There is lambswool under my naked feet, 

the wool is soft and warm gives off some kind of heat.

Carpet Crawl - Genesis

Ruby Tuesday - The Rolling Stones

 With that disappointing 'blank' at the Moth Traps yesterday, with just +4C on the guage it looks as if things will be the same (it can't get any worse) again as the day started at just +1C with a

 Light Ground Frost

which didn't deter the Dawn Chorus the rest of which was a roudy local Kestrel seeing off a much larger adversary in a Common Buzzard. At least a single Moth from each of the traps,

even under worsening conditions up north
there was nothing new, but Best of the Bunch included both

MARCH MOTH
along with another

OAK BEAUTY
while in the process we spotted at great distance c2

SHELDUCK

circling high above the
Eco Re-Cycling Yard

which has always been a traditional nesting site for these water birds, with further investigations on Sunday when things fall quiet at such places.

MARSH MARIGOLD

 

in full bloom.

CHESTNUT

in full bud but not quite in blossom yet so will have to leave singing
"April in Paris"
for a few more days!

male 

PHEASANT

 taking the sun while over the past few days the

CRAB APPLE
trees have come into full leaf with just a single

BLOSSOM

Rawhide - Gil Favor / Rowdy Yeats

Priority as ever fell to the Moth Traps with higher hopes than in previous days as we now have that extra unit. Unfortunatly, the 'force' was not with us as not a single Moth having to settle for a

RED ADMIRAL BUTTERFLY
along with a similarly single

DOR BEETLE

while otherwise in the compound a,

or what we would prefer to think of as 'the'

LAPWING
prospecting the option of another successful breading season here?

Followed by a brief visit by this

SPARROWHAWK
which did allow for a couple of rushed 'clicks' while also among the panels a single

RABBIT

HERRING GULL
and never seen at this site before a most unexpected and equally lone small strand of

SNOWDROP
A planned 'short' scan across the Heath

only attracted a stampede of the resident

CATTLE

looking for a free lunch. At the end of the search one of 2

COLLARED DOVEs
at the Fencing Centre with the other carrying nesting material, it's happening!!

The Tender Trap - Frank Sinatra

 Jumping the Gun a little as to report the best news first, the best kind of start to the new month as within the Solar Panel Compound we found that Foreman Jose

had connected the second of the Moth Traps that usually lie within and now just one more to 'hook-up' when time allows. So, back to the beginning and some slightly better footage of the

MUTE SWANs

continuing to construct this years nest. Otherwise, most of the rest of the day was spent in the more northern 'reaches' with no more than the

Fool on the Hill

MALLARD
gracing the Gravel Pit before back-tracking to the S.P.C. to find the first Moths of the new month

OAK BEAUTY

PINE BEAUTY
along with a

CLOUDED DRAB

with a

BLACK SHEEP
thrown in for good measure as not seen yesterday.

Strange to see a lone

LINNET

not an unusual visitor but

more often seen in flocks.

While after at least 2 months of absence again the

RED-LEGGED PARTRIDGE
for a second showing across the same number of days.
Finally, and fortuitously a second quick look into the Irrigation Pond

where perched and fluttered a most welcome

REED BUNTING