Warming up slowly

It’s been a hard slog going around the patch since I last blogged and I seem to be ending up at the right places at the right time but not looking in the right direction so dipped on a number of local goodies. Luckily migration is trickling in as the temperatures improve so have added Swallow, Curlew and Willow Warbler to the year list while long stayers such as Long-tailed Duck and Water Rail occasionally give themselves up. With a light winds, temperatures climbing and low cloud burning off slowly todays search of the patch produced Long-tailed Duck at the pond with 2 Little Gull including one adult summer plumage bird with a very pink flush on belly, Rock Pipit at 8am when flushed by runners, 2 Oystercatcher, 3 Snipe, 3 Gadwall and 8 Goldeneye. The grandborough valley gave us 5 Fieldfare, 4 Mistle Thrush, Sparrowhawk, 2 Raven (15 max number earlier in week), 3 Buzzard and 4 Cormorant.

Moths have made a good comeback from a zero catch in the middle of the week to 34 in the trap last night from 10 species with the highlight being 6 Early Grey and new for the year Light Brown Apple Moth, Dotted Border and Brindled Pug. Butterflies today and yesterday included 3 Peacock, 2 Comma, 6 Brimstone and 4 Small Tortoiseshell.