Monday 3rd June 2013

Weather :- Sunny, warm with a light wind

Woods :-Robins, blackbirds, blue and great tits all seen busy looking for insects and seen taking back to nests. Male chaffinch and chiffchaff seen singing. Treecreeper x2. The highlight was finding the nuthatch nest. Both adults seen bring in very large, juicy caterpilars and a young nuthatch kept popping their head out. But not quite brave enough to fledge yet.

Young nuthatch

Canal :- The 5 mallard ducklings still doing well. 11 male mallards and 5 female mallard present. Another 3 chiffchaffs, male house sparrow and male blackcap singing, with good views. Male blackbird also seen taking worms back into bushes.

Netherton hill :- Fairly quiet. Male greenfinch flew over, jackdaw, 2 mistle thrush in the trees by the pools.

Reservior :- Again fairly quiet. lesser black-backed gulls 16, 2 swift flying high above. 6 coots, but 2 young seen - look recently hatched and another juvenile with a different parent. Only one great crested grebe seen and no young.

Flowers include :- herb robert, dandelion, daisy, first stinging flower seen, buttercup, red clover, red valerian along the canal, ribwort plantain and bluebells.

Insects include :- buff and white tailed bumblebees, small white butterflies, speckled wood butterflies, peacock butterflies. First 2 common blue damselfies of the year, red tailed bumblebee, craneflies and a large white butterfly.

Bluebell