21st April 2012

Weather :- cloudy with sunny spells, but 3 hours later - hail.

Woods :- The usual suspects around, blue/great tits, woodpigeons, wrens, etc. Bullfinches and greater spotted woodpecker heard. 2 chiffchaffs singing away. With added sighting of a male and female blackcap.

Reservoir :- quite again, but sailing club was out today. Mallard, coots and that was it.

Canal :- mallards, coots, moorhens. Chiffchaff heard, and then really good views of one in the reedbeds. Male and female chaffinches seen and greenfinch heard.

Netherton hill :- 2 buzzards, another 2 chiffchaff singing, male swallow and 2 linnets.

Lots of insects around including :- first orange tip, speckled wood and green-veined butterflies of the year, red-tailed and common carder bees.

Mammels :- grey squirrels and a brown rat.

Flowers :- Ramson, yellow archangel, garlic mustard, wood anemone and bluebells.

13th April 2012

Weather :- sunny with a light wind

Only had a couple of hours today, so kept it short around the woods and reservoir.

Reservoir was quite, few mallard, one swan, several coots - one dragging a rather large twig to the nest and a herring gull.

Woods showed up the usual suspects, with 4 chiffchaff singing away. Great spotted woodpecker drumming and a pair of jays showing well.

At tabletop - 2 buzzards displaying, good show from one of the chiffchaffs and the first swallow seen on the patch this year, male flying NE.

Grey heron flew over Doulton Clay Pit, along with woodpigeons and magpies.

Otherwise - grey squirrels and buff-tailed bumblebees. First of the bluebells flowering, along with white dead nettles and yellow archangel.

Yellow Archangel