Lockdown update - April 29

The last few days have been tough. Yesterday's wash out was followed by further showers today, so not only did this cut off the insect supply and dissuade me from doing much wandering about, it also reminded me of what I could be missing. Rainfall = birds, but only if you can get to a reservoir, or gravel pit, or even Morton Bagot.

Arctic Terns, Whimbrels, Dunlins, Bar-tailed Godwits are probably crawling all over the premier Midland birding sites. Maybe even a rarity or two.

Our garden does not hold the same potential. Nevertheless, as the rain cleared this afternoon, I added a new bird to the garden lockdown list. A pair of Common Swifts which circled high overhead. I was chuffed.

Common Swift

Twenty minutes earlier, one of the local Peregrines also flew over.

Peregrine

My only wandering got me to Castle Nurseries for provisions and didn't add anything new.

Nevertheless, thanks to the Swifts, the garden lockdown and the general lockdown list both moved on:

57. Common Swift      and   65. Common Swift     .... respectively.

The moth trap is going out tonight, and this post will be concluded tomorrow morning.

And here we are: it was hardly worth it. Just two moths shivering on the fence; a Swallow Prominent and a Lesser Swallow Prominent (nice moths), and none at all in the trap. It contained a Common Wasp and a caddis-fly of the usual large orange species (whatever it is).