Chris texted me last week to say there was a Shoveler on the little flood pools between Ainderby and Thrintoft. I was just replying to say how productive those pools were when he rang, four Avocets just dropped in! I grabbed my bins and camera and started to jog (well, fast walk) there. I had barely crossed the village green when the dreaded call came in, they had flown off high north never to be seen again…so personally disappointing but another great addition to the parish list.
At the beginning of last year I jotted down half a dozen
species that I thought were possible additions to the bird list (Dusky Warbler
was not one of them!!). So we’ve now ticked off Egyptian Goose and Avocet and a
Great White Egret was seen literally feet outside of the parish boundary. That
leaves White-fronted Goose, Ring Ouzel and Pied Flycatcher still to get….
Otherwise it has been a rather quiet period although the first
summer migrants arrived yesterday with a Chiffchaff by the railway and Chris
had another by the waterworks. There have been a smattering of them arriving at
local sites over the last couple of days so I assume these are spring arrivals
rather than wintering birds.
Winter thrush numbers have fallen sharply with Redwings
particularly scarce now although a handful joined a mixed thrush and starling
flock in Thompson’s fields…
Talking of thrushes there seems to have been a bit of a
resurgence in Song Thrush numbers this year after very sharp declines but it
remained the scarcest of the five regular thushes in the garden this winter…
New birds for the year included the first singing Corn
Bunting along Potter’s Lane and a calling Tawny Owl in the hall grounds.
Finally, this moth, found on the side of the road, is a Dotted Border
This is actually a new species for the village (although reflecting a lack of moth trapping at this time of the year rather than rarity)
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