The safari had the usual early morning walk around Patch 1, felt cool today at 11ºC but that is actually a degree warmer than the long term average for June.
At the end of our street there were House Sparrows to the left of us and House Sparrows to the right. It would seem that the young have hatched and are demanding lots of food forcing the adults to travel a bit further afield to look for the juiciest caterpillars. Really miss not having them as a regular visitor to the feeders at Base Camp and they have never nested in our salubrious ‘Sparrow Terrace’ nest box, probably couldn’t get in because of the Great Tits, although this year it is sitting there silent and unused.
Over in the park the Whitethroat was chittering away and the Long Tailed Tit family was making a lot of noise from deep within a bush. Blackbirds made the headlines with a female carrying a huge beak full of fresh nesting material and another laden with worms. A Song Thrush (neither seen nor heard for a while) was chased off the lawns by a bullying male Blackbird – “git awf mah land….”. Deffo a bit busier than yesterday.
Patch 2 before work gave us little out at sea other than a Grey Seal close in shore but distant to the south. All the action was from passerines. A couple of House Martins and three Swallows hawked insects along the seaward side of the wall even venturing 100 yards or so out over the wavelets from time to time. The House Martins have nested locally in the past not sure if they are doing so this season
In one of the ornamental gardens (= patch of overmown grass) a female Linnet searched for food, perhaps to feed a nearby brood while her husband, a stonking male in full red finery, was sat on the wall overseeing her efforts. There is a nice mix of wild flowers in these lawns, Birds Foot Trefoil, Red Clover, Thrift, Sea Plantain, & Sea Campion amongst others, if only they were allowed to flower and seed more often.
Lack lustre at lunchtime on a dropping tide with absolutely nothing to report, unless you’re desperate to know about the single Sandwich Tern that flew past.
Patch 2 before work gave us little out at sea other than a Grey Seal close in shore but distant to the south. All the action was from passerines. A couple of House Martins and three Swallows hawked insects along the seaward side of the wall even venturing 100 yards or so out over the wavelets from time to time. The House Martins have nested locally in the past not sure if they are doing so this season
In one of the ornamental gardens (= patch of overmown grass) a female Linnet searched for food, perhaps to feed a nearby brood while her husband, a stonking male in full red finery, was sat on the wall overseeing her efforts. There is a nice mix of wild flowers in these lawns, Birds Foot Trefoil, Red Clover, Thrift, Sea Plantain, & Sea Campion amongst others, if only they were allowed to flower and seed more often.
Lack lustre at lunchtime on a dropping tide with absolutely nothing to report, unless you’re desperate to know about the single Sandwich Tern that flew past.
Where to next? Really hoping for something on the Patches now, where are the Little Terns, could a Cuckoo fly over Patch 1?
In the meantime let us know what you're hoping to fluke in your outback this week.
Sorry no pics today - nowt to aim the camera at.
Sorry no pics today - nowt to aim the camera at.
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