30th March - 5th April Week Two - Surrendered to Self Preservation From Others Who Care For Themselves

Week Two of isolation and the lock down, the opportunity to leave the house restricted to the daily exercise walks and the trips to the supermarkets to stand in line two metres apart like a scene from some authoritarian thriller that is now real life.  The weather this week started with overcast skies and a cold wind.  On Monday the clouds looked ominous over the village.

By the end of the week the clouds were gone, temperatures were up and it was the first outing of the year for the shorts.  The view from Brislands Lane looking east towards Old Down Wood.

The northerly winds continued to act as a blocker to any of the local migrant birds arriving so it was down to the garden for interest at the start of the week. On Monday after a short walk I came into the garden to be surprised by a Sparrowhawk arrowing in on the feeders.  It was the large female that is a regular visitor.  The alarms rang out and all the small birds just disappeared.  The hawk flew to a group of cropped leylandii and at first I couldn't find her, then she appeared partially hidden behind a branch.

Then by standing on a chair I could get a better view.

Then she dropped from the branch and down behind a fence, then came quickly over the fence and then just over my head causing me to jump off the chair she was that close.  In a second she was gone leaving just the alarm calls of Blue Tits and Robins ringing out.

We saw her again on Sunday, but never in the garden, just flying over.  The Blue Tits sounding the alarm from within the trees when she was very distant, allowing all the birds to seek shelter.

Around the garden there has been a lot of activity, I now think we have possibly three pairs of Robins as they seem to leave the garden with food in three different directions  I can tell one individual Robin through feather pattern on the head but the others are all very similar.  One is also tamer than the rest and will venture into the kitchen a small way.

They also like to pick the mealworms from the log by the trees.

We have to run the gauntlet in the kitchen as always one bird seems to see us and stare us out from the tree.

A singing Goldcrest has been around the garden but I have been unable to pin this small bird down, another small bird that has been about and just as elusive is the Wren, the song is heard but we only get fleeting glimpses as it weaves through the flower beds.

Goldfinch numbers have reduced which has meant the amount of sunflower seed eaten has eased.  Starlings are singing from prominent spots around the houses, the trees and roof tops.  This male was singing and flapping its wings from the top of the tree outside my office window.  Once again the white overcast sky is a challenge for exposure but you can appreciate the delicate petrol like hues in the glossy plumage.

We have a significant flock of House Sparrows using our hedge and the ivy on a wall opposite.  Below the ivy is a patch of soil that is covered from any rain, the soil is dry and the sparrows have been using it to dust bath in.  They have worn a deep hole though their antics.

Again the cock sparrow is overlooked but at this time of year looks very dapper, almost as if it is dressed in a flat cap and tweeds.

Waiting to go our daily walk on Friday I was able to get close to our favourite Blackbird.  This is now his seventh year with us.

During the winter we were concerned his bill was twisting and that this might impair him, but looking here it seems to have straightened a little bit.

With warm weather at the end of the week a few butterflies drifted through the garden, the Brimstones of course never stopped but a Peacock once again settled on the patio to enjoy the sunshine.

So to the walks around the village conducted on a daily basis mostly at the end of the afternoon.  We have varied these starting with a walk through Old Down on Tuesday.  A pair of Bullfinch were about at the junction with Gradwell and Brislands, the male flying off to leave the female hiding behind the branches

In Old Down Wood there were the first signs of the Bluebells beginning to flower.

While at the pond Cuckooflower or Lady's Smock was in flower, all we need now are a few Orange Tip butterflies.

The sun was picking out the new growth of reeds in the dark at the back of the pond.

A walk down Alton Lane on Wednesday produced a surprise in a Roe Deer in the small field near the garden centre.  It looked like she had some form of injury on her back.  Roe Deer sightings have become a lot rarer in recent years

The rookery about half way down the lane was very busy with Rooks calling from beside there nests.  It is difficult to actually count the number of nests present as they have expanded to many of the trees in the vicinity but I would estimate well over fifty, pushing a hundred nests.

A Coal tit showed well in one of the bushes.

While a Great Spotted Woodpecker was drumming in the copse in Gradwell Lane.

As we turned into Brislands the alarm calls heralded a Kestrel gliding over the field.

Thursday saw me heading into Old Down Wood once again, but before I reached the wood I was stopped by yet another calling and drumming Great Spotted Woodpecker in Brislands Lane

As I sought to avoid a family coming out of the wood at the Gradwell entrance another Coal Tit appeared on a branch calling.

In the few times I have walked through the wood recently I have checked the tree where for the previous eight years a Tawny Owl could be found.  I decided to try again.  I scanned the tree without any luck.  There were droppings at the base of the tree and I followed these up and bingo!  There it was eyes partially open as if it had seen me before I saw it.

This would be the ninth year there has been a owl here.  Back in 2012 Helen and I found him when a pair of Jays calling constantly took us to it.  Every year since then in the spring it has been there and we fondly called it Morris after my late Father-in-law, mainly because I desperately wanted to show him off in 2012 to my Father-in -law but wasn't able to as he wasn't in the tree when we visited.

I was delighted to have found him and made sure the family knew.  I moved a little to get a better view.

The Tawny Owl is the typical "wise old owl" but could also be considered to look a little forgetful, sleepy and slapdash and maybe a little grumpy too.  To quote Matt Sewell "its just that he looks like he fell asleep and fell out of the tree into a pile of leaves and bumbled back on with his day without smartening himself up again".

To be fair Owls are not the smartest of birds when compared to parrots and corvids, its all in the eyes, they make all owls look like they are deep in concentrated scrutiny and wallowing in long lost knowledge.

Continuing through the wood I came across several singing Chiffchaff.

While a Treecreeper provided a distraction from trying to pin the mobile Chiffchaff down

On the way back along Gradwell and Brislands I came across a Nuthatch calling

And a singing Goldcrest.

Friday Helen and I walked down Brislands to the bottom of the hill, it was a lovely sunny day.  Just past the turn off to the wood the banks on either side of the lane as it winds down hill were covered with the leaves of Ransomes and in between the little purple flowers of the Dog Violets.

At the turn at Gilbert Street there were three Bullfinches, two males and a female.

We turned to walk up through the Desmond Paddocks towards Old Down Wood.  A Buzzard was over the wood and a Red Kite appeared from the field at the top and drifted over checking us out.

Meadow Pipits were on the fence that lined the footpath.  They also started to appear from the field.  I counted 25 and have to assume these were on passage as I can't recall seeing that many here before.  The first sign other than the singing Chiffchaffs of migrants moving through.

Entering the wood there were large areas of Bluebells and a lot more flowers out, there is still a long way to go until they are at their best but it was a welcome sight.

Primroses were also still flowering making for a lovely show around the fallen logs and branches.

We walked through the wood and checked the Owl tree where you could just make it out.

Leaving the wood I was reminded of an old set of friends from back in 2012 too.

No walk on Saturday I was too busy in the garden, but I did get out Sunday, the warmest day of the week, clear blue skies and shorts.  I decided to walk through the woods again, I was hoping that there might be some butterflies about.  At the Junction with Gradwell and Brislands there were two Wrens battling it out with song.

Initially they stayed in the sunshine, but then moved to the other side of the lane where there was better light and a lovely background.

On the other side its competitor hadn't given up.

A little further along a calling Nuthatch in the sunshine.

Walking into Old Down the Brimstones appeared and being Brimstones they never settled just flew past inspecting all the Lesser Celandines as if they considered them to be a possible mate or rival.

I walked over the crossroads with singing Chiffchaffs, but as I approached the open area where the old Beech tree used to be I heard the brief song of a Blackcap.  I have been seeing Blackcap in the garden since the start of the year, but hearing one sing was what I have been looking forward to, a collection of melodic notes delivered at pace with an element of scratches, beautiful.  Maybe not a warbler in name, but he is so in form function and voice.

Finally I managed to find a male Brimstone that settled on a bluebell.

I checked for the owl but there wasn't any sign, heading out at the Gradwell entrance I disturbed a Buzzard that flew to a pine tree before flying out of the wood.

I had to wait for a large group of people to come into the wood, (so much for social distancing!) and while I am moaning why do people think it is acceptable to walk with their dogs in the middle of the field?

Crossing the field the Buzzard I had seen earlier was having a bit of a problem with a Crow that didn't seem to like it.

Walking home I was taken by the trees and flowers, first was a flowering Herb Robert, a member of the Geranium family and quite an early flower this year.

Then the trees first the lovely silver birch against the deep blue sky

While the emerging cleanliness of the leaves against the background of branches.

I am lucky that I have the countryside on my doorstep (I would have liked a bit more access to water but hey!), there are many that don't and they have to keep inside or walk to paths.  I understand in the glorious weather people need to get out, I just hope that the minority do not spoil it for the majority as this access to nature is helping to keep me sane in these troubling times.  The next challenge will be the Easter holidays.

Hopefully next week will see the arrival of a few more migrants, I would be expecting a few swallows about by the end of the wek