April Showers

30/04/2012

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Well April has been the wettest month since the last time it was the wettest month. The cold weather has also inhibited migrants although they are starting to accelerate now.  Blackcap has joined Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff and the Martins and Swallows are present although numbers are still low.

 The wet is not bad new for all birds; its an ill wind and all that. The thrush family can cope with the wet as this Mistle Thrush can. A car works wonders for these birds as I have found they are quite shy and timid when encountering them in the woods whilst walking. The one in the picture opposite was gathering worms for young nearby.
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Is this Spring?

17/04/2012

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After such warm weather it's been a return to winter temperatures. I don't blame the migrants for not coming here! 
It's only been in the last few days that we've seen our first Sand Martins and Wheatear although the Chiffchaffs have been singing for a while. At the coast the Black Tailed Godwits are getting into their breeding finery ready to leave whilst the Puffins are just arriving.
Blackbirds seem to be busy collecting worms to feed their broods and the Dippers and Grey Wags are nesting now, so they don't seem to mind this cold spell, and my bird feeders are still popular with the woodpeckers and Jays, like this one. 
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Barley Bird

01/04/2012

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Frogs and toads have done their thing; lets hope they get some rain otherwise it will be a poor year for their survival.
Been enjoying the unprecedented sunny and mostly warm weather over the past week. It's about to end but we all knew it would. My woodland hide has been terrific - 15 species in one March afternoon is a record probably mainly due to the lack of rain. It brought in Woodpigeon, thrushes, a Treecreeper and Yellowhammers.

The most fun was catching up with this Corn Bunting; not a showy bird but one we would be impoverished to lose. the decline of traditional farming means it is only really found on the coast in our area.
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