Sunday 22 April 2018

22nd April

Despite a week of warmer weather summer migrants are still slow to return. Only Chiffchaff have arrived in any numbers…


With barely a handful of Willows so far singing in the parish…


…Together with a smattering of Blackcaps. Although Swallows have been seen intermittently since early April any local nesting birds do not seem to have made an appearance before today when a pair of birds were twittering around the stables. Other arrivals today included Lesser Whitethroat, with at least one bird singing down Greenhills Lane, and Chris had Garden Warbler near the river.

Butterflies are also starting to show with Small Tortoishell, Comma and eight Peacocks seen in the Magic Garden including this ragged one…


Yesterday I went to Langton Bridge to see the fascinating, if slightly unnerving, sight of Lampreys spawning. Just on the upstream side of the bridge were a total of about 75 individuals. You could see some suckering on to stones and turning them over. Unfortunately photography was extremely difficult with my cheap camera (and without a polarizing filter) but you can just about make them out…



There was also a large trout here, a Barbel and a small shoal of what I think were young Grayling?

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