Soaring Red Kites and a Supporting Cast - Garden and Broomfield Track 24/04/20

While out in the garden alarm calls from the local gulls alerted me to first one then a while later another 2 Red Kites over the garden which are always a very welcome sight. A Common Buzzard also passed high over the garden and at one point one of the Red Kites and the Buzzard were spiralling upwards high above in the same thermal.

Red Kite

Red Kite and Common Buzzard

House Sparrows were busily collecting food to take back to the nest and a male paused briefly on the fence giving some lovely views in the sunshine.

male House Sparrow

male House Sparrow

The local pair of Herring Gulls were decidedly put out by the arrival of a pair of Lesser Black-backed Gulls who settled on the roof opposite before moving off.

Lesser Black-backed Gulls

Lesser Black-backed Gull

Later on in the day I headed out for my exercise walk. An Orange-tip butterfly gave some superb views as it fed amongst the flowers of what I think is a garden escape. I have been lucky this spring to get some lovely views of a beautiful butterfly.

Orange-tip Butterfly

Orange-tip butterfly

Orange-tip butterfly

Orange-tip butterfly

A little further along the smaller of the pair of Little Owls was resting up on its usual perch. It was alert as a dog walker with a pair of barking dogs went past on the footpath but it seemed content to stay where it was. They are always a joy to see.

Little Owl

A pair of Magpie were routing about as I came past the lower paddock and gave some very good views in the sunshine, their feathers with jewelled colours as they caught the light.

Magpie

Magpie

Magpies

As I headed up to the top path a Wood Pigeon peeped out at me from its perch and the air was full of Skylark song.

Wood Pigeon

Moments later a Red Kite spiralled lazily over, giving some nice views as it did so. As I carried on I managed to see another 2 high up Red Kites passing over.

Red Kite

Red Kite

Red Kite

 As I paused along the top path and had a scan across I could see 8 Common Buzzards spiralling in a thermal high above me and another 6 spiralling in another thermal. They were very high but a pleasure to see. A pair of the local Common Buzzards were calling away and tumbling around each other in the sky.

Common Buzzards

Blackcap, Chiffchaff and Whitethroat song filled the air and a small group of Linnet were busy amongst the grasses as I came down to the lower path. Comma butterflies and Peacock butterflies were flitting around in the sunshine. I came across a Long-tailed Tit collecting food to take back to the nest and it gave some superb views as it flitted from perch to perch.

Long-tailed Tit

Long-tailed Tit

A pair of Blackcap were busily collecting nesting material and gave some nice, if brief, views as they did so. I hope that they are successful in their nesting.

male Blackcap

female Blackcap

I finished an enjoyable visit with the sound of the pair of Common Buzzards calling away.

A Lizard, a Jay and Sunbathing Insects - Broomfield Track 20/04/20

It was a fairly quiet walk round today but it was nice to be out. I could hear a Little Owl calling but could not see one today. A Common Lizard was sunbathing in the same place that I saw one yesterday but this appeared to be a differently marked individual. I always enjoy watching them. They are amazing little creatures.

Common Lizard

A Jay was on one of the posts in the horse paddock before spotting something on the ground and flying down. I could not manage much of a photo through a gap amongst the foliage in the hedge but it makes a nice memory shot.

Jay

Near the end of the path I paused next to a patch that was lit by the sun and within such a small area there were a surprising variety of insects life. They were mostly various hoverflies but a good range amongst them for such a small patch of sunlit vegetation.

Watching the various insects as they moved about before pausing to sunbathe made an enjoyable end to the visit.

A Hungry Whitethroat and a Sunbathing Common Lizard - Broomfield Track 18/04/20

The sun broke through this afternoon, following the rain this morning, as I headed out for my daily exercise walk. It was good to be out and I enjoyed listening to the various bird song as I made my way round. A Whitethroat was singing away before breaking off to scour the umbelifers for insects.

Whitethroat

Whitethroat

As I made my way along the high path I came across a Wheatear in the field. I do not know if it was a new one in or one left over from the ones I saw the other day. Either way, it appeared to be on its own. The males are very handsome birds.

Wheatear

A Common Buzzard called as I made my way to the lower track and here Chiffchaff, Chaffinch and Blackcap song filled the air. A Ring-necked Parakeet called but from within the wood. Various bees were busy amongst the flowers but in the cooler air I only saw one butterfly, a Peacock butterfly that was resting up. I came across a Common Lizard sunning itself, the first that I have seen this year. This one's tail seemed particularly long or perhaps it is just that I have not seen one for a while.

Common Lizard

Common Lizard

I finished my exercise walk, as I started, with the air full of bird song and grateful, once again to be out. However difficult walking may be on any particular day I am always grateful when I can do it. And that is even more the case during this lockdown.

Little Owl, Wheatears and Mediterranean Gulls - 16/04/20 and 17/04/20

As I headed down the path for my exercise walk today I caught sight of movement in one of the trees and saw a Little Owl fly across the back of the tree and appear to land on a back branch. I have heard one calling fairly regularly but have not managed to see it yet. I could see that it was up there but it was well obscured. What I was really chuffed to see, moments later, was that there was a second Little Owl peeping out at me from the other side of the tree. I love watching owls and any day that enables me to do that is definitely a good one. It is great to know that there is a pair and I hope that they can manage to breed successfully. A dog barking nearby saw them moving on along the hedgerow but I felt incredibly lucky to have been able to have got such great views.

Little Owl

Little Owl

I carried on round and overall it appeared quite quiet. It came, therefore, as a very nice surprise to see movement in one of the top fields, as I passed by, and to find that there were 6 Wheatear (109) in the field. There were 2 female and 4 very smart males.

The rest of my walk round remained pretty quiet with no sign of anything else new in. I came across some striking Oak Apple Galls as I came along the lower path.

Oak Apple Galls

Oak Apple Gall

A Robin was singing sweetly as I finished.

The next day on the 17th April I had 16 Mediterranean Gulls (110) fly over the garden calling away which is a new bird for me for the garden list. Rather than make a separate blog post I have added them in here.

Mediterranean Gulls

Birds seen this visit include: 24 Blackbirds, 8 Goldfinch, 15 Chaffinch, 2 Dunnock, 8 Robin, Blue Tits, Great Tits, 27 Carrion Crow, Jackdaws, Rooks, Wood Pigeons, 2 Wren, 2 Little Owl, 12 Blackcap, 6 Chiffchaff, 6 Magpie, 1 Whitethroat, Skylarks, 6 Wheatear, 11 Linnet, Herring Gulls, 1 Kestrel, 2 Common Buzzard, 2 Collared Dove, 2 Swallow, 5 Song Thrush, 8 Cormorant,

A Longhorn, a Bee and an Orange-tip - Broomfield Track 15/04/20

After a few days at work it was good to be able to have a walk around the now familiar route for my exercise walk. 2 Speckled Wood butterfly were rising in a dancing flight around each other and this was only broken by the arrival of a Comma butterfly whereupon one of the Speckled Wood broke off to give chase.

I enjoyed listening to the various bird songs as I made my way along. There did not appear to be much change in what was around since my last walk but it was good to be out. As I walked along the top path I came across what appeared to be a small moth fluttering near the hedgerow. Luckily for me it settled and I was able to get some photos. I did not know which it was but having looked it up since I got home I think that it is a Green Longhorn Moth Adela reaumurella. The colour of the wings appeared to change noticeably depending on the angle of reflection I was looking at it from, appearing either dark or much paler and also as to whether it was in the sun or shade. The antennae were remarkably long. A little further along I could see another fluttering along.

Green Longhorn Moth Adela reaumurella

Green Longhorn Moth Adela reaumurella

Green Longhorn Moth Adela reaumurella

Green Longhorn Moth Adela reaumurella

A little further along I came across a queen Common Wasp chewing woody material from a dried stem.

Queen Common Wasp

Queen Common Wasp

As I reached the second half of the lower path I came across a little patch of Cuckoo flower. With their delicate colour they are a lovely sight.

Cuckoo Flower

A Willow Warbler was singing in the same area that I heard it the other day and 2 Swallow were hunting at the back of the cow paddock. I caught sight of a very striking bee. At first I thought the bright yellow that I could see on it must be pollen but it appears to be the colour of the bee. It was a really bright flash of yellow as it moved rapidly from flower to flower. At the moment I am not sure what bee it is except perhaps a Carder? I could not manage to get much in the photo line as it was extremely active but hopefully in time I will be able to put a name to it. It was a little beauty.

I came across a Small Tortoiseshell butterfly that was sunning itself and giving a lovely view.

Small Tortoiseshell Butterfly

I finished the walk with an Orange-tip that was resting up and allowing some great views.

Orange-tip Butterfly

Orange-tip Butterfly

Orange-tip Butterfly

Birds seen this visit included: 20 House Sparrow, 15 Starling, 8 Blackbird, 9 Stock Dove, 15 Chaffinch, 3 Robin, 4 Dunock, 3 Blackcap, Blue Tits, Great Tits, 5 Wren, 2 Swallow, 1 Common Buzzard, 6 Magpie, 5 Chiffchaff, 1 Willow Warbler, Wood Pigeon, 5 Song Thrush, 1 Sparrowhawk, Herring Gulls, 3 Whitethroat