Not a bad day considering I was in an office for most of it. Went for a late morning walk in the Botanic Gardens in Cambridge where I saw the first butterfly of the year, a Comma (took a phone-photo); quickly followed by the second, a Peacock. Then I saw the first bat of the year, probably a Pipistrelle sp.. It circled above my head fluttering around a conifer, when out of the corner of my eye, I saw, but the bat evidently did not, a Sparrowhawk. The Sparrowhawk glided slowly across and picked it out. It was so close to me I could actually hear the noise of the bat being crushed in the Sparrowhawks talons! Not a good start to the year for the bat, and probably just a snack for the Sparrowhawk, but pretty exciting for me.
In the evening I went to check on the Short-eared Owl. I didn't see it, but there were fresh droppings in it's day-time roost. Along the way there were 27 Golden Plover, some in full summer plumage, so I took some poor photos of them too.
22 March 2016 11:28 - 12:21
Sunny 11C 6NW
Mallard, Sparrowhawk, Moorhen, Woodpigeon, Magpie,
