Very heavy overnight thundery showers, followed by a few lighter ones during the morning. The early light wind became quite fresh and ended up SW.
Imperial Rd
Malcolm 09:45 - 10:15
I checked in the first break in the showers. Two things struck me straight away. One, the water level had risen considerably overnight. Two, it was extremely noisy! You would have thought the heavy rain would have dampened spirits, but so many of the birds were singing! Possibly just pleased that it had stopped.
Swallows 2 adults feeding and 5 young waiting to be fed. This isn't a great clip of the young, but does give a sense of the noise.
 |
| One of the young Swallows |
Sedge warblers were singing almost constantly and seemed to be from every direction. This is one of them.
 |
| Sedge warbler |
Buzzard at least 2. This one was calling from the central copse.
 |
| Buzzard calling |
Also contributing to the noise:
Other singing warblers
Cetti's 2
Chiffchaff 3
Common Whitethroat 1
Blackcap 1
Song Thrush, Blackbird, Dunnock and Wren singing
Chattering and twittering
Carrion Crows, Magpies and Jackdaws
Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Goldfinch.
 |
| Four Goldfinch flying across the road. |
Family parties
Long-Tailed and Blue Tits
The only bird that seemed silent was the male Stonechat. Doing more waiting than feeding some distance from the road.
Mark Jones had a quick look at lunchtime.
The stonechat was distant and initially looked to be a male and a female, but I think it was just the male, but with a goldfinch and a reed bunting in close attendance.
 |
| Distant male Stonechat |
a greater spotted woodpecker (probably in the small wood a the back)
pair of common whitethroats still feeding young near the road.
Middleton Nature Reserve
Malcolm 10:30 - 11:00. It was 17°C despite there being no sun, warm enough for dragonflies but a check of the west side of the main pond failed to locate any.
Wildfowl as yesterday plus 1 Little grebe provided a brief glimpse.
Cetti's warbler 2-3
Chiffchaff 2
Blackcap 1
Reed warbler 1
Janet checked early afternoon
 |
| Mute Swan female with cygnets moving to the "no swimming" pond |
 |
| A very light coloured Comma |
 |
| Ringlet |
 |
| Not easily identified from this angle....... |
 |
| ........a Burnet Companion |
 |
| Now lots of Narrow-bordered Five-spot Burnets |
 |
| Blackneck moth |
 |
| Mullein caterpillars Making short work of the plant. This is the area near the gate to the industrial site |
