They didn't.
The whole visit felt a bit strange to be honest. The stables where I park were strangely deserted, and I later discovered that they had gone out of business. This information was gleaned from the land-owner, Paul, who went on to say he would be building a house on the plot shortly. I may need to find somewhere else to park.
With such a hiatus since my last visit, it was inevitable that I would see (mostly just hear) a number of birds that would be new for my year here. Reed Warblers (two singing), Sedge Warblers (three calling), Whitethroats (seven singing), Lesser Whitethroat (one singing), Willow Warbler (one singing), and three Swifts duly made it onto the list.
Strangely, I didn't see any hirundines, making this the first year I have seen Swift here before Swallow or House Martin. Too cold perhaps.
My big hope was that the flash field would save the day. Sadly the scene simply reinforced my impression that spring had come and gone in my absence. The pair of Shelducks was still present, and a pair of Teal was the nearest I came to seeing anything unusual. At least three pairs of Greylag Geese have goslings, while a single Canada Goose was on a nest at the dragonfly pools. Only two pairs of Lapwings were present. The Little Owl disappeared into the foliage of its nesting tree as soon as I appeared.
The local mammals were doing their best. Brown Hares were everywhere, and I saw three Roe Deers including a strangely lethargic buck which allowed me to photograph it before wandering casually off.
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| Roe Deer |
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| Beautiful Demoiselle - female |
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| Beautiful Demoiselle - male |
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| Small Heath |
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