Foxy surprise at the Wetlands

12th June 15           dawn till early               mid section

mostly cloudy, 10-13°c,  1014mb,  NE 8mph

Station Paddock ( the wooded area behind the old station ) is still loud with bird song at dawn, I could hear chaffinch singing from the canal bridge,was greeted by wren as I walked through the gate,then blackbird followed by blackcap,robin and chiffchaff all with in a few minutes, no less than three song thrush and a dunnock with more of each before I reached the gate at the other end. An area not much larger than a football pitch and full of life.

       I could only find two of the three mallard chicks on the Wetlands and no sign of mum. While on the walkway there a fox arrived, reedmace was between us so it didn't see me, I watched it for a short time and then it twigged, it stopped,looked and looked again, decided yes its one of those bipeds, turned slowly and slopped  off  but not with out a backward glance, as they do.

Canada Goose	1	below Compton Lock,
Mallard	2 broods	2 chks Wetlands,  ♀+2 chks Meccano Bridge,
Moorhen	1 Wetlands,  1+4 chk Prefabs,  1 w/grown juv Prefab weir,
Lesser Black Backed Gull	8 (6 imm)	Compton Field
Wood Pigeon	35	Compton Field
Wren	17 singing	mid section
Dunnock	2 singing	mid section
Robin	5 singing	mid section
Blackbird	3 singing	mid section
Song Thrush	7 singing	mid section
Mistle Thrush	3 >> S over	Barleyfield
Whitethroat	2 singing	Shrike Bushes
Blackcap	9 singing	mid section
Chiffchaff	7 singing	mid section
Long Tailed Tit	4	prefabs
Nuthatch	calls  Meccano Br,   calls Newbridge Tennis Courts
Jackdaw	odds over	mid section
Chaffinch	3 singing	mid section
Fox	1	Wetlands