Thursday May 19

I've just been studying the results of the 2016 Warwickshire Patch bird race. I was unable to compete, and it was left to Mike Inskip to carry the flag. Sadly he had a pretty poor day and finished on 54 species, leaving Team Morton Bagot 12th (out of 12 - i.e. last). In fact Dave and my 66 species the day before would only have moved us up to 11th. World beaters we ain't.

So to this morning. A light southerly breeze and mainly sunny conditions were good for surveying. I heard the Cuckoo, and saw a Mistle Thrush heading over. However, there was no evidence of any passage migrants, and the wader count consisted of three pairs of Lapwings. The two pairs of Shelducks are still present though, and there are now two broods of Canada Geese.

As the day warmed up I switched my attention to insects, and finally recorded my first odonata species (that's dragonflies) in the form of a Large Red Damselfly which disappeared almost as soon as I had seen it, and then a much more obliging Beautiful Demoiselle, arguably Morton Bagot's most important species in terms of their fragmented distribution in the rest of Warwickshire.

The male Beautiful Demoiselle

There were plenty of butterflies fluttering about, including Small Heaths, Brimstones, Orange Tips, and various Whites. The latter are impossible to identify until they land, and not easy even then. I took a photograph of a Small White....I think.

Back at Netherstead I failed to find any dragonflies, but did at least see a distant Hobby, and then spotted a Red Kite which flew from above Bannams Wood and along the ridge of Clowes Wood, never getting close enough to allow a satisfactory photograph (but several very unsatisfactory ones which I'll keep to myself).

Finally the token bird picture.

Thank goodness for Pied wagtails.