Long morning wander

Setting off from Tescos in town I took to the footpaths around East Wood, Stocking Wood plantations and Stocking Wood and then on to Bury Green. From here, headed south west to the parish boundary before steering a course north west to Acremore Street and down to the war memorial in the village and home.
In all: 38 species of bird, 11 butterfly sp and 4 dragonfly species. Super 4 hour walk.
In the silver birches out side the house, a willow warbler was calling, posing for a few photos in what was good light. Sadly this light didn't last and by 12.00 noon it was decidedly murky.

After being dropped off at Tescos and a morning coffee I wandered over to East Wood. Here there was an elder tree groaning with berries. The occasional flicker of a branch informed me birds were feeding and, so it proved. Chiffchaff, blackcap and garden warbler were all having a feast. I sat quietly and awaited, chatting with several folk, including an interested chap called Ben, as they passed with their dogs. This didn't seem to phase the birds at all.

female blackcap

garden warbler

After spending 45 minutes trying to improve on photos I moved on. At least 4 buzzards were over Stocking Wood as well as several seen earlier. Good thermals were encouraging flight.

Near Bury Green I met up with David, who had yesterday informed me of brown argus in a field, so I thought a quick check would be in order. None found but a ruddy darter, migrant hawker, brown hawker and common darter were all at his pond. A grey heron alighted in the field next door as I chatted to another David, who also runs a moth trap. Had he not had some gardening to do, I am sure we could have exchanged moth news for a few hours! Good to meet all of these folk, along with David's wife, Susan.

common darter

migrant hawker

ruddy darter

young grey heron

Also around here, I came across my first hornet of the year along with various butterflies and a yellowshell moth. In the grass were Agriphila tristella and Agriphila straminella.

hornet

speckled wood

a very worn gatekeeper

More butterflies followed as I took the path past Harvey's Wood and towards the paddocks. Here, small and large white, brimstone, a fly by peacock, small heath and a red admiral were all recorded.

distant brimstone

small heath

large white

Plenty of bullfinches heard in the hedgerow and more speckled woods and red admirals around. As I headed down Acremore Street, migrating swallows overhead after observing a large flock of goldfinches, containing many juvenile birds as shown here.

juvenile goldfinch

Robins, long tailed, blue and great tits all called and a small heath and common blue butterfly headed passed, the former stopping briefly for a photo, see above. I stopped to check around the banks of the River Ash, but much disturbance from the work being carried out by the EA, but this blue tit posed well whilst a bank vole did not

blue tit

singing robin in silhouette

By the time I got home I had covered a fair few miles. However, all was not done because, as I sat down to sort out photos, I looked out of the window into the garden to check buddleia and, unbelievably, there sat a spotted flycatcher. A garden first. Immediately I had photo'd this, 3 juvenile swallows came to rest on the garden telephone wires. A busy few minutes being stealthy around the garden.

spotted flycatcher

and another shot of spot fly

swallows

confiding swallow.

What an amazing morning, with some great wildlife.
Bird species: willow warbler, common buzzard, garden warbler, chiffchaff, blackcap, blue tit, great tit, herring gull, carrion crow, chaffinch. wood pigeon, wren, robin, jay, swallow, linnet, great spotted woodpecker, green woodpecker, blackbird, bullfinch, goldcrest, dunnock, reed bunting, grey heron, kestrel, jackdaw, magpie, long tailed tit, rook, goldfinch, treecreeper (heard), house martin, little owl (heard), moorhen, collared dove, house sparrow, starling, spotted flycatcher.

Butterflies: speckled wood, red admiral, peacock, small heath, large white, small white, common blue, brimstone, small tortosieshell, meadow brown, gatekeeper.

Dragonflies: common darter, ruddy darter, brown hawker, migrant hawker.