An early morning trip around my local area enabled me to catch up with the local lapwings. Looks like there are two pairs settling to nest in a spring tilled field - they were busy trying to see off some crows but with limited success! Further on, a pair of little owls look well established at a traditional site and I spent some time watching quietly until the owl's gaze switched to
a large pack of dogs out for their morning exercise.
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| little owl |
I bought some peat free compost in our local garden centre Barn Farm Plants, they stock a really good range at a good price: a definite must do purchasing choice. We can't afford to loose any more precious peatlands....
In the afternoon I checked out local sites for willow tits but could only find marsh tits, great-crested grebes and a
very large mute swan nest on Clattercote Reservoir.
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| mute swan |
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| great-crested grebe |
A late afternoon stroll along the Fox Hill ridge above Upper Wardington yielded the day's highlight and a local patch "first" in the shape of an Osprey. Heading purposefully northeast, it was quite likely making for a Northamptonshire or Leicestershire and Rutland reservoir - maybe staying there to breed - otherwise their most likely destination is Scotland. A red kite, kestrel and several buzzards were also on the wing in the sunny conditions, with just a slight breeze. Yellowhammers were singing from the hedgerows with skylarks up above. A small flock of meadow pipits, about twelve, tucked into the oilseed rape, pausing on their northward journey to upland hills.
The first part of the Easter weekend was spent up in North Yorkshire, where it was great to see curlews and barn owls on several occasions, was well as the usual gang of back garden tree sparrows, and a very smartly plumaged yellowhammer.
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| male yellowhammer |
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