Friday, April 30, 2021

More Ring Ouzels

 










Get in there !!  Another 4 Ring Ouzels on our walk this morning, brilliant, just us two and 4 ouzels !! And that makes 7 ouzels we have found on this walk this week !

Arctic Terns

 









One of those days where we were in the right place at the right time for a change. Slaynes Lane on Wednesday was an Arctic Tern hotspot !  With 100+ terns past us, a flask of freshly ground coffee and a slab of cake....it was a perfect day !

Wednesday, April 28, 2021

Swallows, Swifts and Yellow Wagtails in the rain

 

We timed this walk perfectly. As the rain started to fall, the swallows came down and they were spectacular. Swooping and diving all around us. Some sat on the fence, chattering to one another. And then we spotted one that was different with a dark pink breast. You can see it on the pic above. A fantastic looking bird that topped off one of those magical birding days.




A magnificent looking barn swallow. 


In the middle fence section is a house martin sat among the swallows and the swallow sat on the post on the left was rung with a silver ring.




RAIN !!

We were stunned by the amount of Yellow Wagtails that were here, impossible to count accurately but a good 50+. Fabulous !


Another day......another swift !

Tuesday, April 27, 2021

A Nightingale serenade




 The bird is deep in the undergrowth but just listen to the song xx






Behind a million twigs but we really didn't need to see it...just listen to the song, magical, the best songster in the world !

Mistle Thrush, Messingham NR

 






Calling it's head off in the sheep fields at Messingham

Our first swift of the year yesterday at Covenham Reservoir

 



Our first swift of the year, flew over and gone !

Sunday, April 25, 2021

Ring Ouzels

 









Ring Ouzels

Cuckoo

We set out this morning to see the grasshopper warbler that we heard singing last week, but it was late in the morning as Karen had a Sunday morning double shift of sleep !  We could hear a cuckoo calling, a whitethroat was singing and giving us good views, a wheatear was on the fence but what caught our eye were these 3 ring ouzels. They are one of our favourite birds and we were over the moon with our find. They fed, drank, bathed and snoozed and after a couple of hours we thought they had departed. A walk further along the lane and there they were again but distant. They flew again, landing in the tree before moving on. What a day, brilliant !