Meanwhile my sister's tortoise, Fred, who we are looking after, clambered about its temporary refuge. Birds came unexpectedly into the frame as the advancing cloud cover suggested the forecast rain was finally going to arrive.
At about 5.30pm I glanced out of the window. There had obviously been a big hatch of flying ants because the sky above our garden was filled with jinking Gulls, mainly Black-headed. Above them circled an astonishing 75 Swifts. Then as I picked through the Gulls I spotted one with a forked tail. Not a Gull at all, of course, a Common Tern. Superb. I watched as it drifted off to the south. The garden list advances to a pretty nifty 73.
Speaking of Terns, I seem to have lost my mojo as far as local listing is concerned. After waiting for thirty years for a Caspian Tern to be twitchable in the West Midlands, one has finally turned up. But the venue is Rudyard Lake, about as far north in Staffs as you can get, and I just can't be bothered. It would even be a British tick. Shocking.
There has also been a little bit of news from Morton Bagot. Mike Inskip has let me know that two Small Red-eyed Damselflies appeared on Thursday. I also see that John Belsey, presumably, had a small party of Crossbills over his garden in Winyates Green yesterday. So, weather permitting, there will be plenty to look out for on the patch tomorrow.
No comments:
Post a Comment