New Garden Bird Feeders

An instant hit with two Collared Doves!

Essex Birds

No real birding today, but managed a couple of year-ticks in Essex. Visited a garden with Michelle and the family (how exciting) in Elmstead, where there was a Garden Warbler singing. We then had a brief visit to Fingrinhoe Wick as it was just about to shut, where most of us managed to see at least one Nightingale.

Fowlmere

Starlings woke me early again (there’s one young bird that continually calls from dawn!). So quick walk around Fowlmere. Usual stuff, Turtle Dove being new for me for the year. Still no Cuckoos heard.

Two tick day?

Kent for a Dusky Thrush and Early Spider Orchid. Dusky Thrush (1W female) was easy enough to find at Margate Cemetery, but now some doubts as to whether it’s not a Naumann’s intergrade apparently. Notes I took said dark-brown spots (apparently they should be black). Didn’t see anything else to indicate Naumann’s, but then I didn’t think they looked like that anyway. Grotty picture taken of a very skulky bird as well as a skulking Ring-necked Parakeet.

Then to look for the orchid. I slogged around Temple Ewell Down near Dover for a couple of hours without seeing any orchids at this apparently orchid rich site. Realising everything must be late (Lesser Celandine and Bluebells were out), and having read that they flower a couple of weeks earlier at nearby Samphire Hoe on the coast, I went there and found quite a few. A nice looking plant at a great location.

 

Starlings and Swifts

Swifts roosted in the bedroom roof for the first time this year. Not sure how they will get on with the (very noisy) Starlings; these have normally left by the time the Swifts arrive. The photo shows one of the adults just over the wall in the churchyard, bringing food.
Fowlmere held little so I took a couple of snaps to pass the time.

Hatching Eggs

Not much at Fowlmere apart from the usual (good numbers of Swifts though). But I did see four Mute Swan chicks actually hatch. They were eggs when I started watching, and chicks half an hour later.

Nesting Birds

Starlings have (noisy) young in our loft and a Robin has been feeding a fledgling in the garden. A couple of Dunnocks and a pair of Collared Doves are often seen together in the garden too.

Short-eared Owl in Foxton

Went to Amwell late morning. Not much doing. That was it for the day until Mathew called to say he was watching a Short-eared Owl along Fowlmere Road. Went with Tom to take a look and take some pic’s.

 

 

Fowlmere

Woke early so went to Fowlmere in the fog. Didn’t see much apart from three Lesser Whitethroats that had arrived since my last visit, until I saw this odd looking Yellow(Red)poll…