October 2023
23/10/23 : Dawn at the Esk estuary with lots of birds in flight over the river , Muncaster, Cumbria
23/10/23 : Dawn at the Esk estuary and lots of birds on flight, of course most of them waders of some short. The river itslef was quiet with lots of Mallards on the water, and Redshanks on the banks but most of the activity was over the river which was on the waning tide.
Cormorants and Wigeon were in their hundreds, Little Egrets in dozens and everything else in ones an twos.
Didn't see any Otters today, but the walk back was made brighter with Stonechats flying in and out of the brambles in the morning sunshine.
October 2023
17.10.23 : Early morning walk along the Esk estuary at Muncaster, Cumbria
17.10.23 : An early morning walk along the river Esk at the estuary, the hope was to spot the Otters out and about first thing, sadly this wasn't to be. The tide was very low and most of the water in the river was gone, and with it any hope of seeng the Otters.
All was not lost though with a couple of Roe deer walking the opposite bank, and a Goldcrest hiding in the reeds next to me. There was a flock of 12 Little Egrets, countless Cormorant flying overhead and a large flock of Mallards in the distance. On the sand banks in the river there was a Grey Heron, Curlew , Redshank and the Greylag goose with a broken wing that I saw a few weeks ago. The goose seemed to be feeding well and managing with its injury, sadly it couldnt join the flock flying overhead.
On the walk back there was a couple of Sparrow Hawks in the air, and a male and female Stonechat in the brambles.
I will come back again soon to look for the Otters , but I think I might check the tide tables first !
October 2023
16.10.23 : Early morining trip to Leigthton Moss RSPB to see the Stags in rutt
16.10.23 : Today was an early morning trip to RSPB Leighton Moss, to see if the Stags were showing in the rutt, I met up with another local wildlife photographer and we headed off in the dark to the Grizedale hide, where the Stags had been seen recently. A cold wait for 45 mins and we were rewarded by two hinds walking by and 10 mins later a big Stag following them. They were heading away from the hide towards the Allen hides, so we left and headed in that direction, stopping at the grit trays to watch the Bearded Reedlings for a short while.
Once in the very busy and full hide we spotted 3 stags (maybe 4) which were walkng around the pond and seemingly tollerating each other without any trouble. The big old Stag was in the reeds with 2 Hinds and was happy to remain there while the other Stags strutted around the waters edge.
Other bird life was of course the Marsh Harriers, Grey Heron, Teal, Shoveller and the other usual suspects, today however the Deer were the stars of the show.
Back at home in the evening I had a wander around the fields to see what was about, The Mute Swans on the pond were joined by 7 Greylags before the took to flight in the early evening. The Heron was back fishing, Starlings were gathering in the fields, Pied Wagtails pottering about and the wrens in the Hwathorns.
All in all a good day !
October 2023
14.10.23 : Quick walk before work at Bassenthwaite
14.10.23 : Misty , cold morning with frost on the grass I had a quick walk to the lake before work, so only 10 minutes to spend but managed to watch a couple of Herons flyng past and some Mallards taking off. A good start to a working day !
October 2023
09.10.23 : Walk along the river Esk below Muncaster looking for Otters but finding lots of other wildlife
09.10.23 : Misty, grey morning but dry, so I set off for a walk along the river Esk to see if the Otter was available for a photo shoot ! Sadly I arrived a few minutes too late with its fresh tracks still in the sand banks I had only just missed it.
I stayed on the bank for 2 hours just incase it came back, it didnt but there was plenty of birdlife to keep me occupied. A flock of Canada geese arrived on the river, before taking flight leaving just three on the river, one of which had what looked like a broken wing. It was sad to see a bird in distress but not much to be done as it was able to swim away and was heading for the coast.
On the banks there were Greenshanks, Curlews, Little Egrets, Cormorants, Mallards and Herons and just before I left due to the weather closing in a Kingfisher flashed by and landed on a log in the middle of the river. Not great photos today due to the grey, misty weather and cloud.
I will not be put off though and I will be back to find and photograph the Otters !
October 2023
03.10.23 : Cormarant on the pnd at Parkside and a barn owl caught on trail cam
03.10.23 : A bit of a cold and chanagable day today so the first job was to retrieve the trail camera I left out last night to try and get a shot of the Barn Owl. This time unlike the last it was a success, however the camera was set at the wrong hieght meaning the infrared was burning out the image, still lesson learnt and tonight it will be in a different location, fingers crossed. The good thing however is I now know where the Owl is going at night so I can follow it with more ease.
The pond has remained quiet of late but life is starting to return to it and today there was the pair of Mute Swans, a Moorhen and a visiting Cormorant, so I got a few pictures of it before the rain returned.
October 2023
02.10.23 : Esk estuary at Muncaster and Home at Parkside, Cleator Moor
02.10.23 : Started the day with an early morning walk along the river Esk estuary under the Muncaster estate. As soon as I was on the path I spotted two Roe deer in the distance through the morning mist, they spotted me in an instant and jumped the fence and ran off. Two minutes later I was looking up at two Buzzards flying from perch to perch and I knew it was going to be a good walk ! Walking into the woods there was Longtailed Tits, Robins, Wrens, Willow warblers and grey squirrels, upon reaching the river it seemed quiet as the tide was very low, the usual Grey Herons and Little Egrets were fishing, the Oyster catchers and Curlew on the mud flats and Mallards in the water.
While watching a Grey Heron fishing I spotted two lines of bubbles inthe water and then a head ! It was a pair of Otters crossing the river, climbing out onto the muddy bank before disappearing into a riverlet ditch. They were a long way off but its was great to watch and now I know where to find them I will be back.
At home we still have a pair of Mute Swans on the pond, and they were joined today by a lone Greylag goose and a Coot, there wasnt much else about today but on my evening wander I did spot another Roe deer in the fields, this is a first as Ive never seen one in these fields before, so hopefully it will be back
September 2023
25.09.23 : Mute Swans on the pond at Parkside, Cleator Moor, Cumbria
29.09.23 : Tonight I went to look for the Barn Owl at dusk, sadly it was a no show, but i did retrieve my Trail Camera and a quick look at it I had managed to capture a Dunnock and a Magpie ! oh well , Ill try again with a different set up so fingers crossed and watch this space.
Elsewhere we still have two Mute Swans on the pond which is nice to see, and a dozen or so Mallards. The garden still has a good shwoing of all the Tits, Lesaer Spotted Woodpecker, Nuthatch, Magpies, Jackdaws and Crows. The Swallowas have also departed this week, and their calls in the evening will be very missed
September 2023
25.09.23 : Mute Swans on the pond at Parkside, Cleator Moor, Cumbria
25.09.23 : Windy day at Parkside, spent a happy hour watching the pair of Mute Swans on the pond preening and washing themselves this afternoon.
September 2023
23.09.23 : Garden birds at home in Parkside, Cleator Moor, Cumbria
24.09.23 : A wet and windy day in West Cumbria today, so I stayed at home and watched the wet birds in the garden from a nice dry garden room !
The feeders were busy with Blue Tits, Great Tits and Coal tits, along with House and Tree Sparrows, and of course the ever present Chaffinches. Our resident Nuthatch was also busy on the peanut feeders, taking one nut at a time then flying to a tree a long way away on the other side of the fields to eat. He then repeated all day ! getting slowly wetter and wetter as the photos show.
Then the Starlings turned up in a small mummuration of about 150 birds, they then set about emptying the fat balls but also stripping the berries of the Rowan tree. This morning the tree was covered in berries, by the end of the day they have pretty much all gone. Its the firt time in a long time we've seen the Starlings in any numbers, and I had forgotton just how loud they are, even when roosting on the power lines.
September 2023
23.09.23 : Garden birds at home in Parkside, Cleator Moor, Cumbria
23.09.23 : A day of mixed weather and so just a short walk around the garden and the fields in Parkside, time to enjoy soome regular garden birds looking great.
Lots of Tits and Sparrows in the garden today, but not very many finches, just a couple of Chaffinches , however a Tree Creeper popped by and brighten things up.
In the fields it was goof to see that we now have two Mute Swans on the pond, hopefully the lone one has found a new mate after loosing its last one over a year ago, Mallards were flying over and a couple of Herring gulls and that was more or less it.
September 2023
22.09.23 : RSPB Leighton Moss. Torrential rain and cloud cover
22.09.23 : An early start today as the forecast was clear and dry till midday in Silverdale, so I headed over to the reserve for dawn, and arrived to find it chucking it down! The cloud was low and the rain incessant, it never got light.
Undetered I put the waterproof cover on the camera and head out along the causeway. There were no other people around and only the odd bird on the path, in the distance there was a stag crossing the path, a Cetis Warbler singing its heart out, and Reed Buntings hiding in the trees trying to stay dry.
It was clear this was not going to be a good photography day, but it didnt stop me truly enjoying the nature, walking down to the public hide a Marsh harrier was hunting overhead and the lake was just coming to life. A family of four Otters were feeding just to the left of the hide, I passed a good hour while the rain got heavier just watching them as a family unit. Just as the rain was easing an Osprey appeared over the lake before settling down in a far off tree.
All in all a great way to spend a few wet hours enjoying if not photographing wildlife
September 2023
21.09.23 : Muncaster & the Esk estuary
21.09.23 : Break in the cold weather with a strong breeze and blue skies, so I headed off to the Esk estuary along the path at the bottom of the Muncaster castle estate, a great place with red squirrels, deer and birds.
September 2023
13.09.23 - 14.09.23 : Evening walks in Parkside, Cleator Moor, Cumbria, and further in West Cumbria for the Hares
13/09/23 - 14/09/23 : The gloomy weather has continued so short evening walks have been the order of the day. The fields and finaly the pond seem to be filling up with bird life again after a quiet month. The air is screaming with the calls of Swallows with a new late brood, the fields have flocks of Linnet and Wheatears and the trees are full of Buzzards and the odd Barn Owl.
The pond has also started to get back the birds that have been missing since a spell of avian flu killed two Herring gulls three months ago. We have a single Mute Swan, two Grey Herons and a juvinle Wigeon.
September 2023
07.09.23 : Evening walk in Parkside, Cleator Moor, Cumbria
10.09.23 : The good weather came to end today but just before the rain came I managed a quick walk out, all was quiet except for a lone Wheatear in a field of fresh cut grass. All attempts at Barn Owl spotting are put on hold till the rain stops !
September 2023
07.09.23 : Evening walk in Parkside, Cleator Moor, Cumbria
07.09.23 : Evening walk around Parkside then further afield in West Cumbria to find the hares. I went looking for the Barn Owl at dusk, but there was no sign of him, I did however spot a Grey Heron up in a tree preening before flying off into the sunset. The Swallows were out feeding again with the young from their late brood, and a lone Nuthatch was in the hedgerow, trying its best not to be photographed !
Further afield I went looking for Hares, but was only rewarded by one running away from me in the long grass
September 2023
01.09.23 - 05.09.23 : Walk at dawn around Eskmeals natured reserve on the Esk estuary and walks around Parkside, Cleator Moor
01.09.23 - 05.09.23 We've had a mixed bag of weather of late but it looks to have settled down a little bit now, meaning Ive been able to get out and about a bit.
I took a dawn trip to the Eskmeals Nature reserve, just East of Muncaster and on the mouth of the Esk estuary. The Tide had been high during the night so I figured it would be a good morning for it. There's a firing range at Eskmeals so you have to check the flags to see if any are flying ( red shows firing and yellow that the reserve is closed ), both flags were down so in I went.
The sun wasnt really up but the vast Esk estaury was busy with Great and Little Egregrets, Grey Heron, Mallards, Red Breasted Mergansers, Curlew, Redshank, Herring Gull, Common Tern and Black back gulls in all good numbers. The dunes were a little quieter with just the odd Wheater flitting about and a common Buzzard over head.
As I go into the dunes however I noticed that the M.O.D had been and put both flags up while I was walking so I ha to cut my visit short and make a hasty retreat, stopping only long enough to take a quick photo of a Roe Deer in the dunes !
Back at home at Parkside, I have been trying to get out each evening to find the Barn Owl, but as of yet Ive only seen it on two days, fingers crossed for more. The fields are however full of Swallows, which are busy raising a late brood, which is great to see. There's been a flock of Linnets in the field as well as all the usual Corvids. The pond remains quiet apart from the heron and the Swallows which have been feeding and drinking, always a great sight ( see the videos ! )
August 2023
30.08.23 : Evening walk in Parkside, Cleator Moor, Cumbria
30.08.23 : Evening walk to see if I could locate the nest / roost site of the Barn Owl I saw last night, turns out I was 2 minutes too late ! I did however, manage to get it leaving where I think the site is and shot off a few quick photos before it disappeared into the woods. Tomorrow if the the weather is good I'll get there earlier .
The light was fading when I came back but I did manage to watch a few Swallows which I think have had a late brood, all of which were out feeding.
What a great way to end a long day at work, watching Barn Owls and Swallows at sunset .
August 2023
29.08.23 : Evening walk in Parkside, Cleator Moor, Cumbria
29.08.23 : An early morning walk from Calder Bridge along the river bank to the Abby and back, the light was a bit dark with clouds rolling in. There wasnt much about at first till a Dipper put in an appearence, and a happy half an hour was spent watching him fish for Cadis fly lava, then just as I was moving on a Stoat ran across the path and into the hedge, two minutes later and a couply of Grey Wagtails scared off the Dipper and flew along the river.
The afternoon we took a walk around Clints Quarry at Egremont, and were rewarded by six or seven Willow warblers.
I had hoped to go looking for the Barn Owl, but rain stopped play, but I did get to see a large female Hedgehog grabbing a drink from the dog bowl in the garden . Hopefully tomorrow Ill get chance to go looking for the Barn Owl, weather permitting, this is Cumbria after all !
August 2023
28.08.23 : Evening walk in Parkside, Cleator Moor, Cumbria
28.08.23 : Evening walk around the fields tonight, I almost didn't bother as it was threatening rain and cloud, but I'm so glad I did !
First I distrubed a flock of Linnets, first roosting in a Hawthorn tree and then the moved onto the barb wire fence. I moved so that I could get a better position and stumbled upon two Meadow Pippets on the same fence. Walking through the fields I spotted a Hare running into the distance and so I headed to another field that I knew it would end up in, and as I approached caught a glimpse of a white bird gliding across the field at a few feet, then it was gone, that could only be one thing , a Barn Owl.
I've heard the Barn Owls here for nearly 4 years but never caught sight of one apart from on a night camera, so excited I stalked through the fields looking for where it had landed and with luck on my side I found it perched on a fence post, before gliding off to an old tree out of sight. Only a fleeting glimpse but I know where it is now and will attempt to get some more pictures soon.
What I great evening stroll !
August 2023
18.08.23 : Evening walk in West Cumbria, Hares, Swallows and Martins
18.08.23 : Slow walk this evening around West Cumbria and although windy and not mucj about, the Swallows and House Martins were out feeding in small numbers as most have already left for the year. A little later there was a lone Hare hiding in the grass
August 2023
17.08.23 : Roe Deer, Buzzards, Swallows & Sand Martins, Bassenthwaite, Cumbria.
17.08.23 : A quick Walk this morning before work at Bassenthwaite saw a buzzard by the lake and a Roe Deer in the meadow, then tonight at home at Parkside spent a short while watching the last remain Swallows of the year and the last of the Sand Martins, both drinking from the pond. Nice to see but I dont think they will be here for very long as the majority left 4 weeks ago !
August 2023
13.08.23 - Hares in wet weather , West Cumbria
13.08.23 : The peroid of wet weather continues in West Cumbria, but we have had the odd break in the weather where Ive been able to get out with the camera. However, the peroid has coincided with a seasonal malt in the bird population and the effects of Avian flu which has meant the bird life is very sparce so Ive mainly been taking shots of the Hares.
The birds on the pond have yet to return, even the resident Grey Heron has been missing lately, the mute Swan likewise has vanished, we have only had the odd Mallard and nothing else. The garden and fields have seen a large population of Jackdaws, Crows and the odd Raven eat us out of fat balls on a daily basis along with tits and finches of all sorts.
Hopefully the birds will return, in the meantime the Hares in the local area ( exact location withheld ) are doing well, the leverets are now pretty much indistinguishable from the adults, and with a bit of stalking, local knowledge and luck Ive been able to spot them almost every day. Getting a good photo though is a different matter and I will let you be the judge of wether or not Ive managed it !
August 2023
06.08.23 - Hares in the evening , West Cumbria
06.08.23 - An Evening stroll in the fields of West Cumbria to look for Hares and I wasnt disappointed! They havent been out much of late due to manyof their fields being cut for siliage, but tonight Ernie was out on his own. Ernie is the male Hare I see which has a damaged ear so he is easy to spot from the others.
I spooked him and he shot up and ran in a big loop before coming back towards me, he stopped and then sneezed and rubbed his nose, so I guess Hares also suffer from hayfever.
There wasnt much else out with many of the birds being in a malt at the moment, infact all I saw was a young Buzzard and a few Common Crows.
August 2023
03.08.23 : Ravenglass and Parkside, West Cumbria
03.08.23 : Early trip to Ravenglass, nice weather but sadly my timing wasnt great as the tide was so far away the birds were too! The harbour is a great place for waders of all types but at very low tide you need to walk over large areas of mudflats to get close, much better just as the tide is going out.
Regardless of the tide issues, there were plenty of birds about in the distance, the highlight was watching a Little Egret trying to swallow a flat fish which was almost too big for it to eat, it kept trying and eventualy got it down.
Gulls, and the usual Corvids where there in plenty along with Oyster Catchers, Grey Heron, Dunlin and on the shoreline the Sparrows, Finches and tits were also plentiful.
Back at home at Parkside the pond remains empty of all life, even the Little Grebe and the Heron have been absent for a few days, still no gulls or ducks at all. This time last year it was brimming with life , so I can only blame Avian flu.
In the garden the tits seem to have vanished as well, so Im assuming its malting time, but the pidgeons, Finches, Corvids and our resident Pheasent were all here. The stars of the show today however were the Butterflys, the garden was full of Cabbage Whites, Little Tortoise Shell, Peacock and the odd Red Admiral.
July 2023
25.07.23 : Roe Deer at Bassenthwaite Lake Staion, Cumbria
Pouring with rain and all the light gone this evening at the end of the day at work, these two Roe Deer appeared to say hello !
One was by the hedge and the other on the old railway Platform, great way to finish off before hometime
July 2023
25.07.23 : Cogra Moss, Ennerdale
Another early start and a trip to Cogra Moss, Ennerdale. Sunny but with some grey spells so I didnt hang around too long. The lake was quiet apart from a Mallard with two late season ducklings and a group of juvinile Tufted ducks, but the trees along the lakeshore was buzzing with birdlife.
I managed to see and hear, Willow Warblers, Chiffchaffs, Great and Blue Tits, Wrens, Goldfinch, Gold Crest and of course a family of four Buzzards. The Juviniles were sitting in the tree tops shouting for the parents to come and feed them, great to see some acobatic flying and encouragement to go feed themselves ! I didnt see any feeding at all.
July 2023
24.07.23 : Drigg dunes and Parkside
An early start and a trip to Drigg dunes, the sun was shining and the birds were out ! A Buzzard was soaring above the dunes hunting, the Skylarks were flitting about, but much quieter now that the are off the nests, Meadow Pipits were plentiful and an odd Swallow swooping about.
I took the path down to the river Irt and back into the dunes, on the river estuary there were Oyster catchers, Sand Pipers, a Great Egret, Curlew, a Dipper and a flock of Herring gulls. Sadly there were also a number of dead gulls, victims of the avian flu would be my guess.
Just as I was waiting for the Egret which was moving ever closer, a herd of cattle crossed the river in a rush scared it away ! a great site to see but not good for Egret photography :)
Headed back to Parkside and was happy to see a Moorhen had arrived on the pond along with our resident Heron but nothing much else to be seen until the evening when a flock of Greylags came into roost in the fields and a chiffchaf was fliting about the Hawthorns
July 2023
18.07.23 : Ponsonby tarn and Parkside
A nice evening today so a quick stroll to see what was about, at Parkside a small flock of Greylags were in the field, easily spooked as I approached but settingly later on the pond, next to a lone Little Grebe. The Buzzard was out hunting and the Sand and House Martins catching the last of the evening bugs over the grass.
The light was going so I changed location to see how the hares were doing and spent 20 mins following one of this years leverets around three different fileds, it beat me in the end and disapeared into the sunset.
July 2023
18.07.23 : Ponsonby tarn and Parkside
Today the weather broke and for a short while the sun came out, so I grabbed my camera and headed out for a quick walk.
First stop was Ponsonby tarn, I wanted to go and check to see if the Night Heron had come back, sadly this wasnt the case but it was still worth a visit as there were Wrens pottering about everywhere with this years young, the pond had Mallardds, Little Grebes and Moor hens, and there was a Grey Heron hunting in the reeds. Assured that the Night Heron was not there I headed back home to Parkside to have a look there, stopping breifly to watch a Red Squirrel in the Oak Trees.
Parkside and Parkside Pond has been a bit odd lately, the garden birds have been coming back after nesting in great numbers but the pond has been deserted by everything accept a Heron and a Little Grebe. This absence of birdlife concided with a few gull deaths and the worry is that avian flu has reared its head again. We hope that the life will return soon and will keep monitoring it.
The garden however is another matter and the feeders are being emptied daily, this week we have spotted the following in the garden : Bullfinch (male and female) , Goldfinch, Greenfinch, chaffinch, Blackcap, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Blue tit, Great tit, Coal tit, House Sparrow, Tree Sparrow, Dunnock, Tree Creeper, Long tailed Tit, Jackdaw, Magpie,Rook , Raven, Buzzard and Sparrow hawk. Hopefully the weather will improve and I will be able to get a few photos over the next week.
July 2023
10.07.23 - Leighton Moss RSPB reserve and Morecambe Bay
Marsh Harriers with Juveniles RSPB Leighton Moss
Morecambe Bay, from Silverdale
Today was forecast to be dryish with a little bit of sunshine, before becoming wet and grey for the rest of the week, so I got up early and headed out to the RSPB reserve at Leighton Moss, Silverdale to make the most of it. I started off at the hides away from the reserve over looking Morecambe bay. These hides overlook a couple of saltwater pools fed by the sea at high tide, and are a great spot to see waders and sea birds as well as the odd visitor from the reed beds of the main reserve.
Spoonbills have been seen here a lot recently, and I was lucky enough to catch them here last year; sadly they were absent today although it was still a very worthwhile visit. Today there was lots of Bar tailed Godwits, both feeding and flying as well as Dunlin and Redshank. Oyster catchers were plentiful, and there were a mixture of Little and Great White Egrets feeding all over the ponds, joined by Lapwings and Avocets. A Grey Heron visited and joined them for a short while before heading off towards the main RSPB reserve and for a little while a Marsh Harrier flew in but was quickly escorted away by a couple of Herring gulls!
Along the walk to the hides here you pass through a small wooded and reeded section, which today was alive with Reed Buntings, Dunnocks, Great Tits, Blue tits and Chaffinch. The Goldfinches were chasing each other and Chiffchaffs in good voice hidden away out of sight. Its always a good place to visit as you never know really what will be there, normally the gulls outnumber everything else but since my last visit when there were numerous dead ones and Avian flu warning notices, today there was only a handful, I'm hoping this isnt because of the bird flu. I stayed here for an hour or so, and as the light and weather looked like it wouldnt last very long I got in the car and headed to the main reserve.
RSPB Leighton Moss with its numerous hides, shop, cafe and viewing tower has been a favourite place of mine since I first visited with my Dad in the early 80's, it' always worth a visit and never fails to provide something to watch. Today was no exception, and from my view point at the Grisedale hide I was lucky to spot a family of Marsh Harriers, three juviniles and two adults. The young were waiting in the low trees just above the reed beds while the adults were soaring high above and after a short while I was lucky enough to hear the adults calling, the young lifted off and in a series of swift swoops were fed by the adults droping prey midair or passing it directly from tallen to tallen in flight. I didnt get a good look at the prey as they were some distance away but it seemed to be a mixture of mouse or vole with the odd small bird mixed in. At one point the male adult swooped in directly in front of the hide and tried to catch a Moorhen, but didnt get a grip and the Moorhen got away easily.
Also from this hide were Grey Heron, Cormorants, Shoveler duck, Moorhen, Coot and Great Black Backed Gull. It wasnt long however before the skies darkened and so I left just before the rain came.
July 2023
01.07.23 - 09.07.23 - A wet and wild week at Parkside so just a few updates
A week or so of wet, windy and dark weather and so not much to show photo wise from West Cumbria.
The pond has been very quiet, unusualy so and this seems to have coincided with a couple of unexplained Gull deaths, the birds seemed unhurt or predated and so sadly we are concluding bird flu. Since the deaths all the Herring Gulls, Mallards, Little Grebes and Teal have stayed away, which I guess is for the best. The Grey Heron still returns every day and the Sand and House Martins continue to hunt above it and stop for water.
The Swifts left at the end of July and the Swallows left on the 8th July so we only have the Martins now, which were as usual the first to arrive this year, it will be a sad day when they are gone for another year, thier chirping is somehow very reassuring in the evening light.
The Hares are still plentiful and there was even a couple boxing this week, I hope to get the video up soon.
In the garden the feeders are buzzing with life as they start to return having fledged their young, the Gold and Green finches are here in force with the odd Chaffinch but not in any great numbers yet. House and Tree sparrows are in good numbers, the Great, Blue, Coal and Long tail Tits are here in a large numbers, and there are Redstarts singing loudly each night.
The Magpies, Jackdaws, Crows and Ravens are here each morning in large numbers, Im struggling to keep up with the demand for fatballs !
The weather looks set to change for the better so hopefully I will be able to get out a bit more, watch this space.
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