Up with the larks again

17th June 15           dawn till early              mid section

o/cast,  11-15°c,  1023mb,  SW 7 - SSW 12mph, 

Those were the days when we had skylarks on the Barleyfield. We do still have plenty of other good songsters, blackcap seem to be doing well here and most other place's 13 singing this morning is amazing for this time of year, others singing well this morning include blackbird,song thrush,wren and whitethroat. Has anybody else noticed the mallards going into eclipse plumage. Also whilst talking to Ian in Station Paddock Ian picked up long-tailed tits flitting between trees and we counted 23 in all, so they are beginning to form flocks already.

             News came through yesterday afternoon that somebody ( we don't know who ) saw a rare heron a night heron flying over Sankey Pool Dimmingsdale, (just off our patch ) ,so Ian and myself  went over to poke about a bit in the evening ( these things are active at night ( the clue's in the name ).  We didn't find it.

              If the truth be known that's why I was here at dawn, you never know our tree and bush lined pool could be attractive to a small heron like this.

Grey Heron	1 >> E over	Wetlands
Mallard	2♂ 2♀+1 chk Wetlands, ♀ + 4  ¾/grwn juv  Compton Lock, 2♀+ 2 dif age chks Sqash Courts,
Moorhen	1 brood	1 Wetlands,  1+1 chk Meadow View,
Swift	3+ over	Station Paddock
Great Spotted Woodpecker	1♂	Station Paddock
House Martin	1+ over	Station Paddock
Pied Wagtail	1	Wetlands Field
Wren	12 singing	mid section
Dunnock	2 singing	The Paddock
Robin	3 singing	mid section
Blackbird	7 singing	mid section
Song Thrush	6 singing	mid section
Mistle Thrush	1	Compton Field
Whitethroat	4 singing	Barleyfield & Compton Rough,
Blackcap	13 singing	mid section
Chiffchaff	7 singing	mid section
Goldcrest	2	Top Barleyfield Roses
Long Tailed Tit	23	Station Paddock
Chaffinch	4 singing	mid section
Greenfinch	1 singing	Top Barleyfield Roses
Bullfinch	1♂	Hanging Grds
Fox	1	Wetlands