I have been spending time away from the patch just recently, details can be found on the Away Blog here. The garden continues to entertain, with the male Bullfinch still showing regularly in the morning on the feeders, and the Siskins still coming too. This morning there were two males on their own, maybe the females are on a nest nearby?
This afternoon though with the clouds clearing, and it warming up I headed out along Brislands in the hope that I could find something to spark the interest once again.
Walking along past the recreation ground a Blackbird seemed to be upset about something, at this time of year it was probably a Jay or Magpie, they possibly have fledglings either in the nest or in the bushes begging for food.
The leaves on almost all the trees are now at their best, the Copper Beech and Oak contrasting so well with the deep blue of the sky.
I turned into Gradwell, and the field still has a small puddle of water and mud, and this seems to be enough to keep the attention of the Pied Wagtail. As it dipped into the muddy water it kept calling. I would guess it probably has a nest around the stables.
I crossed the field towards Old Down with the Swallows flying low across the field in front of me. Ahead the edge of the wood was looking splendid in the sunshine.
Around the brambles a pair of Green-veined Whites were up to no good.
At least double figures of Orange Tips past me as I walked the main path, but non of them stopped at all. Turning onto the footpath to Kitwood I was faced with probably one of the last Bluebell scenes of the year.
I searched the trees again for the owl, but here was no sign of it, but plenty of signs that it had been there. From there I made my way to the style, and then out across the field to the meadow. Unfortunately the cloud had now bilt up, and the sun was not out. I waited to see if when it did come out any butterflies would appear, but none did.
I waled on to the pond in the hope of maybe the first damselflies of the year, but again the cloud hiding the sun meant there was little chance of seeing or finding any.
I walked on towards the wood, and heard the alarm calls of a Blackbird. The Blackbird was then joined by a Great Tit and Chaffinch and above me appeared a Kestrel. A male, probably from the pair nesting close by.
Back in the wood I could hear the contact calls of Blue Tits as they foraged in the newly opened leaves of the Oak trees. They already look exhausted, and probably have many small mouths to provide a constant supply of caterpillars too.
I stood for awhile waiting for the sun to return, and also to listen to the bird song. A Long-tailed Tit was busy moving through the bramble, and in one of the larches a Song Thrush was singing away. In front of me Orange Tip and green-veined Whites flitted about at a distance, and then a flash of blue went past me which could only have been a Holly Blue butterfly. It didn't stop but kept going away from me. Then from the bracken I heard a Firecrest sing, and managed to see it as it appeared in front of me.
This is now my fifth singing bird this year, and the first in Old Down for three years.
It came really close and I just had to add to my collection of Firecrest pictures. I will do my own portfolio.
Stunning.
I left the Firecrest singing and walked to the crossroads where I headed west A Red Admiral flew up from the path in front of me, flew around and then settled nicely once again in front of me.
This was in fact the third one I had seen today, but the only one that stopped.
As I reached the diagonal path, I stopped again as I heard yet another Firecrest, two in the wood is quite impressive. This one continued to sing, but stayed high in the larch trees, They are getting quite common!
Orange Tips continued to fly past me as did several white butterflies. One did stop though, settling on a bramble leaf.
Finally I came across an Orange Tip male that decided to rest on a flower for me. They are just beautiful little butterflies.
I turned onto the perimeter path and started to look for signs of orchids. About now the Early Purple should be flowering. There was no sign of any in the usual spot, but I could just make out a patch of purple beneath the Dog Mercury, and moving the leaves out of the way I had my first Early Purple Orchid of the year here on the patch.
With the canopy being a lot more open I have noticed that the Ransom's and Dog Mercury have become very thick in places, and it would seem that they have swamped the good orchid sites.
Another flower that seems to be doing very well this year is the Archangel, its yellow flowers contrasting with the mix of the white Ransom's and Mouse-ear, and the remaining blue of the fading Bluebells.
My walk home saw very little else, but I can't really complain when you find two Firecrest, and good views of some lovely butterflies...can you?
I put the moth trap out for the first time this year, the recent warm spring weather hopefully drawing in something interesting. However the only moths there in the morning were a Few Hebrew Characters, two Common Quaker, and this Nut-tree Tussock, probably the most interesting of the bunch caught.
Later during the morning I happened to look out from the kitchen window, and I saw the male Bullfinch back on the feeders. There have been the pair of Siskin about into May, but this was the prize catch. I ran upstairs to get the camera, and fortunately it stayed put, and even moved into the tree to get away from the feeder.
A really handsome bird, it made short work of the sunflower seed hearts.
It made its way through the branches to another open place.
And was then off into the safety and shelter of the honeysuckle.
I decided to have a half an hour walk around the pond and wood at lunchtime. With the weather at last behaving as it should I was hopeful for some butterflies. As I pulled up at the pond a pair of Wrens were having a sing off. This time it was serious as one was fanning its wings in an aggressive stance.
It went from the hedge to a nearby tree and continued the display.
As I walked down the main path a Large White butterfly flew past, quickly followed by an Orange Tip male that also did not stop. As I passed the clump of Bramble a male Brimstone flew up, but this was a little more helpful, and settled on a leaf in front of me.
It was to be the only butterfly I was able to photograph, I saw a Peacock and more Large Whites but non stopped, they kept flying by. The hoped for Holly Blue was also absent.
I walked round to see if the owl was in the tree, but there was no sign of it. As I came back I noticed a small bird flycatching from an oak tree, hopeful I stood and watched and was surprised to see that it was in fact a Nuthatch.
At the junction with the main path several warblers were feeding in a tree. One rattled out the "chiff-chaff" song, while the other was silent. I spent some time following it, and eventually it came out into the open and I could see it was a Willow Warbler.
As I walked on towards hte exit of the wood I was surrounded by singing Blackcap, Robin, Song Thrush and Blackbirds. A little further back I heard the calls of the Kestrels, and all the song stopped to be replaced by the alarm calls of a the Robins and Blue Tits.
Leaving the wood I looked up at the lovely colours of the newly emerged Oak leaves.
I walked around the pond in the hope of maybe a Large Red Damselfly, or a few more butterflies, but I was to be disappointed. All I did find though was this strange bee. I think it might be a Tree Bumble bee, but I am not sure.
Time was up so I had to head home. It was lovely to feel warm in the sunshine and air as I walked around the wood, and I hope that the weather continues to stay this way through the weekend.
Update: My reliable source informs me that the bee is a Tawny Mining Bee. It is a common, spring-flying, solitary bee, which nests
underground, building a little volcano-like mound of soil around the mouth of
its burrow. Nests can often be seen in lawns and flowerbeds in gardens and
parks, or in mown banks and field margins in farmland and orchards.
With it being a Bank Holiday weekend we were away, and details can be found here on the "Away Blog". Over the weekend the weather was dry and sunny but cold, Monday saw a band of rain cross the country, and that seems to have changed the weather into a slightly warmer phase. As I came home today the temperature was up, there were sunny periods, and I took the opportunity for an evening walk around Old Down Wood.
As I walked up Brislands past the recreation ground, I heard the calls of a young Blackbird, and found this recently fledged youngster begging for food from its mother.
There is a large muddy patch in the field alongside Gradwell opposite the horse stables, and this was providing an ideal place for Pied Wagtails to feed, there were four, all males incidentally around the edge of the puddle.
I took the footpath into the wood, and looked across the stables and the field for any sign of Swallows, but they could not be seen at all. In the paddocks several Blackbirds searched for food, while rabbits were lounging around in the sunshine.
As i walked into Old Down Wood I was greeted by a singing Blackcap. The leaves are still to force their way out so it is still quite easy to spot the birds as they sing from a prominent spot in the trees. Here the Blackcap was singing in a Hazel bush.
As I walked along the path towards the centre of the wood Wrens were singing on both sides of the path. I counted six singing birds in the course of about 100 metres. if the same is said for the rest of the wood there must be a huge number of these birds in the wood. It seems the felling of trees, and leaving the broken branches has been ideal for these lovely, tiny birds.
I had received reports that the Tawny Owl was now back in it's usual tree, but there was no sign of him when I looked. There was though signs that he had been there, and I will come back to try again.
Taking the perimeter towards the west I was pleased to see the variety of flowers alongside the path. Bluebells of course were everywhere, there were still Lesser Celandines in flower amongst the Wood Anemones, and every so often there would be a clump of the lovely delicate Wood Sorrel. Both the leaves and the petals of this flower look so fine, the petals with thin purple veins, the petals closing up after dark.
I came out onto the main path, as I walked on, there was a loud set of shrieking calls, that could only be from the kestrel pair nearby. As i was wondering what could be the problem, a set of alarm calls rang out from Robin and Blue Tit, and a Sparrowhawk came from the trees where the Kestrels were, and glided away over the top of the wood.
There were plenty more Blackcaps singing, i counted at least six birds, every so often there would be a burst from a Chiffchaff, followed by the contact calls. I found two making their way through the blossom of a willow tree, hovering under the leaves and jumping from branch to branch.
The only real time that they would stay still was when they were searching through the blossom which seemed to be a source of insects.
the beech leaves are beginning to appear, and as they freshly emerge they are a lovely lime green colour which is accentuated when the sunshine catches them. In this case contrasting well with the dark of the wood and the trunks of the trees.
the Bluebells are really putting on a show now, almost completely out they seem to be everywhere.
i reached the West End, and looked out over the field away to the west. The Rapeseed in the distant fields was now in full bloom, and this contrasted well with the bare branches of the trees that have yet to have their leaves come out.
A little late in appearing this year due probably to the recent cold weather, the Ransom's are now just beginning to flower.
i followed the northern perimeter, hoping to find signs of the early Purple Orchid. The cold weather once again though seems to have slowed them up as there was no sign whatsoever in any of the usual places.
What did catch my eye was this Wood Spurge being highlighted by the sun amongst a patch of Bluebells.
As I walked around to the main path along the edge of the wood the Bluebells were mixed with the white Field Mouse Ear. What i was attempting here was to get the flowers to sit out against a background of the yellow rapeseed, it kind of works.
leaving the wood I walked along Brislands hoping for a Whitethroat in the hedgerow. I wasn't fortunate in finding one, but there was a single singing Yellowhammer and a very confiding Blue Tit, always a joy to watch. I wonder how many would admit to it being their favourite bird, I met someone recently who did.
As I reached the junction with Gradwell I noticed Swallows flying around the conifers. I heard them first, their chattering so distinctive. I had to stop and attempt the challenge once again. This shows how much these birds can twist and turn in pursuit of their prey.
As I made my way home I reflected on the walk, interesting and typical of this time of year, but nothing to shout about. As I turned up Lymington Rise I heard the chatter of another hirundine, and immediately saw that they were back! The House martins were back, not sure from where, maybe outer space. They had returned about a week earlier than last year, and there were eight flying around the area.
I always find it up lifting to see them once again, 23 years living here with these birds that have meant so much to me through my life. My earliest recollection being of them around my Primary School playground in Oxford.
As I watched trying to focus on them they all gathered together and their calls changed to those of alarm, and above them appeared a Sparrowhawk.
Somebody else had realised that they were back. It flew around the area gaining height, having realised that it had been rumbled.
But then started to drift back, closer to me, and as it circled it banked and caught the evening sunshine.
Finally it started to gain height once again, and drifted away surprisingly quickly and out of sight. With the hawk gone the House martins resumed their aerial display above me, and I continued with my hirundine challenge.
Getting better (check out the Sand Martin pictures from Suffolk to be posted later this week)
So once again, a walk that seems like it wasn't going to deliver comes up with some magic right at the end. I should never doubt myself, there is always something out there, you just have to look and keep alert.
