23rd April - I'm Walking Down Your Street Again

 Having had a great morning's sea watch at Hill Head and then some quality butterflies at Browndown and Noar Hill, I thought with being close it was a good chance to see if I could show Ian Morris in Old Down Wood.  We parked at the pond and walked into the wood where we came across a wonderful bed of Bluebells, with the afternoon sunshine the blue was well enhanced and contrasting with the bark of the fallen silver birch bough.

A Red Admiral settled on the dried path in front of us added to the count of different butterflies through the day.  This had been the first true butterfly day of the year with numbers reaching double figures.

A little further along and there was a Firecrest singing.  I have never had one in this location before which only goes to show how this species is increasing both locally and in the south of England.

Leaving the Firecrest we talked about the one butterfly that we would have expected to have seen today but so far hadn't showed, then of course it did, the Speckled Wood.

Reaching the owl's tree there was plenty of signs that it had been about, but true to form it wasn't there.  Once again it had gone missing and despite a search of teh surrounding trees we were not able to find it.  As we left the area alarm calls rang out and a Buzzard glided past us and up into a branch.

We walked back to the pond where fortunately one of the other specialties showed well for Ian at the back of the pond around the holly trees, the Firecrest.  Here are a few more shots of the pair.

A disappointing end to what had been a really good day, I had hoped the owl would be there, but that is nature I suppose, its not an animal collection that is there for all to see, there is always uncertainty and today it was missing!