Tescos to home walk via Bury Green

Following a coffee, I set off for a long wander around the footpaths of the parish to see if anything new had arrived or emerged. I was not disappointed with several new for year sightings.

wood anemone

Plenty of wood anemone about

greater stitchwort

green alkanet

ground ivy

Common dog violet

Bury Green wren

In East Wood and Stocking Wood, good stands of wood anemone, lesser celandine, ground ivy, dog violet, bluebells and greater stitchwort. All good to see before I arrived in Bury Green and a wander through the farmyard at Clinton's Farm. 6 swallows were new for the year and, according to Gill, who runs the farm with husband Michael, they had arrived yesterday. Good  to note and virtually impossible to photograph. They were flying in and out of the barns at high speed whilst also feeding over the farm pond.

male house sparrow at Bury Green

female house sparrow at Bury Green

moorhen on Bury Green pond

From here, a walk along Acremore Street before taking the footpath over to Hoecroft Lane, the polo fields and Muggin's Wood. In the latter, great spotted woodpecker and common buzzard were added to the reasonable list made on the whole walk. On the edge of the wood, a fast flying peacock butterfly whilst just up from Clinton's Farm, a male brimstone nectaring upon dandelions.
In all, 11 chiffchaffs were heard along the 6 mile route, but nothing of real note was seen or heard.
A mallard pair were escorting a flock of 14 recently hatched ducklings on the pond.

Brimstone butterfly

goldfinch

First swallows of the year

bluebells in Muggin's Wood

Species list:
chiffchaff, robin, great tit, blue tit, magpie, carrion crow, wren, chaffinch, dunnock, wood pigeon, blackbird, jackdaw, pheasant, skylark, long tailed tit, goldfinch, house sparrow, moorhen, starling, mallard,herring gull, swallow, yellowhammer, rook, mistle thrush, common buzzard and great spotted woodpecker. 27 species in all