A strange spring continues, bright, sunny but still bitterly cold at times. There’s no doubt it has had an impact on birds. For example, although I saw my first Swallows hawking over the top fields on the 17th I had no further sightings until two along the river this morning. There are no birds at the regular nesting sites in the village so far.
Other migrants have been drifting slowly in with Blackcaps
from 6th April, Willow Warbler from 12th, the first Whitethroats
on the 19th and House Martins on 26th and both Lesser Whitethroat and
Garden Warbler seen today…
The one bird that has arrived in better than usual numbers,
and one of my favourite species, is Yellow Wagtail and I estimated between six
and eight pairs along about ¾ mile of the river yesterday…
Five singing Corn Buntings here too with another two singing birds in Ainderby itself.
Otherwise There have been very few birds of note with Tom
having a Peregrine over Maunby yesterday, a Wheatear was on the riverbank on
12th and I had a Little Ringed Plover flying up the Swale on 13th.
This Shelduck was sitting in the middle of the river yesterday, presumably a reflection
of the complete lack of standing water in the village this year.
The first butterflies were also on the wing with particularly
good numbers of Peacock…
And Orange Tip…
Other species included Small, Large and Green-veined White,
Comma, Small Tortoiseshell, Red Admiral, Holly Blue as well as this very
obliging Brimstone…
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