After three weeks diligently recording wildlife from my garden I have decided I need to redefine the challenge. I am in danger of missing out on Spring, my favourite season.
The impetus came from a stroll to Castle Nurseries last week to buy vital supplies (bird seed). The route took me along an attractive pathway past a stand of impressive poplars leading to the A435, which was strangely quiet. A pair of
Red-legged Partridges sauntered across the road. I could see the potential.
So this morning I repeated the journey but then headed east along the A4189, also much quieter than usual. The farmland bordering the road was obviously the source of some of the birds I have been recording from the garden.
Skylarks sang, a pair of
Linnets twittered at me, and a
Kestrel circled. This was more like it.
 |
| A ten minute walk from the house |
About 100 metres further on was a footpath which led me north-west back towards the main road. A pair of
Speckled Woods were the first of the year.
 |
| Speckled Wood |
The path took me past a small garden pond containing a
Moorhen, not on the lockdown garden list, and led me to a singing
Mistle Thrush, so far unavailable from our garden.
 |
| Mistle Thrush |
One or two
Swallows and a
House Martin complimented the five W
illow Warblers, six
Chiffchaffs, and nine
Blackcaps which were singing across the whole of my route. After a short walk along the A435 I reached a path which took me through a pretty churchyard. At least two
Goldcrests were singing from the yews, and the church itself supported an established
Jackdaw colony.
 |
| Jackdaw colony |
Beyond the churchyard was large ploughed field which sloped upwards towards Skilts Common. A
Lesser Whitethroat rattled its simple song from the hedgerow on the far side. I continued upwards until I reached what the map described as a "reservoir". Actually it was just a fenced off fishing pool owned by Astwood Bank Angling Club.
There was obviously no access, but I could see enough of the pool beyond the fence to learn that it would not be adding too many birds to my list. It's still water though.
The field provided me with a couple of lockdown mammal ticks; a
Roe Deer and a rather unhealthy looking
Rabbit.
 |
| Rabbit |
There were no Wheatears on offer, but the first of two
Whitethroats sang (the second was back at the poplar plantation and I managed a brief glimpse of it). A
Raven croaked, and a
Buzzard soared. All felt well with the world.
If only it was.
For the benefit of list lovers, my lockdown bird list advanced thanks to the following additions:
56. Red-legged Partridge
57. Moorhen
58. Mistle Thrush
59. Goldcrest
60. Lesser Whitethroat
61. Whitethroat
For the purists who might think I should stick to my garden, it remains on 55.
No comments:
Post a Comment