Friday, 6 April 2018

Friday April 6

Light cloud cover with some sunshine and a light to moderate south-easterly.

Important note to self; keep your optimism levels in check and never ever compile a target list of species you hope to see.

This morning I set myself the target of adding six new species to the year list, and decided that four would be a par score, and less than two almost unimaginable.

As I headed away from Netherstead, four Fieldfares flew east. A Meadow Pipit called. Movement, I thought. I decided to head along the road and before I had got too far the odd singing Chiffchaff was joined by a singing Blackcap.

Shortly afterwards I got a phone call from Lyn. To cut a long story short my Dad is very poorly at the moment and my Mum, being fiercely independent, believes she can cope. But sometimes she can't. I pulled the plug on the birding and headed to Birmingham.

By mid afternoon the situation there had improved, and I was able to return home. I went back to the patch, and found Mark leaving the site with a rather limited list of species from the Flash field. I went down to try my luck but was only able to confirm a pair of Gadwall, three Shovelers, three Snipe, four Lapwings, and six Teal. Mark had seen three Green Sandpipers, but I could find only one.

At least a contractor has started ploughing, so Wheatear habitat is being created. The wander back added a Peacock butterfly, the Peregrine, and about a dozen Redpolls.

My next visit will contain no expectations.

No comments:

Post a Comment