A Better Day on the Horsefield,

 A much better day for weather today with only a gentle westerly breeze. Sunny intervals gave a very warm 24C.

21 bird species were found and the sound of skylarks while standing in the centre of the Horsefield was amazing. They were everywhere and the air resounded with their songs. I did much better with butterflies today with 10 species giving 41 individuals including my first meadow browns, the most numerous, ringlets and small/Essex skipper. I found a cinnabar moth as well as some narrow-bordered five spot burnet moths.

Whitethroat

Small white, taken in the garden in the morning.

Small/Essex skipper.

Small/Essex skipper.

Ringlet

Ringlet

Meadow Brown

Linnet

Linnet

Cinnabar Moth

Burnet Moths

Burnet Moths

Burnet Moth

My First Large Skippers of the Year

 A walk around the cemetery and Horsefield today. Warm and overcast but a strong SE wind made conditions very difficult. I saw 20 bird species and found my first large skippers of the year.

Dog Rose

Large skipper, male and female.

Large skipper

Large skipper

Sycamore seeds

Small tortoiseshell

Getting Back to the Horsefield.

 The day again dawned overcast and dull. This, and the fact that I thought that it had moved on, deterred me from going to Winter's to see the buff-breasted sandpiper. Annoyingly, I discovered later that it would have still been there. Still, as the clouds cleared, I opted for the cemetery and Horsefield.

The blackthorn has gone now and the May blossonm is beginning to fade but cow parsley is coming to its peak, continuing the froth of white in the hedgerows. The horsefield is looking superb and there are loads of birds. It was good to get common and lesser whitethroat, blackcap and garden warbler.

House sparrow

Linnet

Linnet

Fledgling robin

Speckled Wood

Another Day on the Horsefield.

 The last day of the good weather today, I think. In fact it clouded over in the afternoon and rained overnight. Although sunny and warm in the morning, there was a brisk and chill wind. I was on the Horsefield again in the hope of seeing/hearing a grasshopper warbler that had been seen by a birding friend on Saturday. To no avail, however, sadly. I also dipped out on the whitethroat. I did run into some running friends, however, and they had seen what sounded like a male blackcap but I couldn't catch up with it.

It was a beautiful walk on the Horsefield, though, and as each day goes by now it looks more spring-like. I noticed red campion in flower as well as Jack-by-the-hedge (hedge garlic) and shepherds purse. Hawthorn is well in leaf and the flowers are just beginning to emerge; we shall soon move from the frothy hedgerows of blackthorn and exchange them for hawthorn before cow parsly and hogweed take their turn. One enjoyable part of walking the same 'local patch' regularly (every day during Covid Lockdown) is that you get to see in detail the changing seasons and even micro-seasons and really get to know the patch in depth.

Again there were quite a few butterflies out: my first holly blues and green-veined whites of the year as well as speckled wood, peacock, comma and small white. On the way back through the woodland burial ground I came across three roe deer.

Chaffinch

Chaffinch

Cherry

Chiffchaff

Comma

Green-veined white

Green-veined white

Comma

Roe Deer

Speckled Wood

More Cemetery Wandering

 Over the Christmas period I enjoyed 3 more walks around the cemetery and woodland burial ground on the 19th, 21st and 27th. The 27th was especially exciting as I got to try out my new binoculars. My old one are nearly 40 years old and showing their age. I had a mixture of weather from 4C and clear skies to gusty winds and finally to cold and misty and only 3C. Things were quiet on the birding front with only 20 species in total. I had nice views of a charm of goldfinches feeding acrobatically on the alder cones. Buzzard and curlew are always most welcome. Tree surveyors were busy a couple of months ago checking trees for disease. Work has now begun on them, either remedial or complete removal. A pity as old standing dead wood provides any number of nesting sites but, sadly tidyness is god. One of my favourites, a big old maple, lost a limb in Storm Darragh and it has been removed completely.

Three Cemetery Wanders

 Three walks around the cemetery and woodland burial ground. It always amazes me that neary as soon as I turn down the approach drive towards the cemetery gates the traffic noise from Scartho Road diminshes and once in the cemetery is gone completely. A few weeks ago I chatted to two people carrying out a tree survey and looking for and marking diseased trees. These are now being removed and on week days it is busy with the sound of chainsaws rather than traffic. It is a quiet time in the cemetery for birds and most other wildlife. There are a few fungi about, however, and next year's hazel catkins and flowers are already formed and growing.

Shaggy Scalycap

Shaggy Scalycap

Shaggy Scalycap

Shaggy Scalycap

Hazel catkins

Autumn in the cemetery

 Having been to see the Illegal Eagles on Saturday and been moved by thier last song Last Resort, I looked up the lyrics and read what Don Henley and Glenn Fry were trying to portray when they wrote it as long ago as 1976: the self destruction of a nation where industry and commerce destroy beautiful places. I find it especially poignant with the election of the new president.

In order to soothe my soul somewhat, I went for an autumn walk around the cemetery and woodland burial ground. Although the usual overcast prevailed, it was flat calm and still and autumn leaves fell from the trees like sporadic rain. Just beautiful. Autumn keeps on giving this year. I was struck by just how much the colours of the leaves I brought home match that of the autumn weaving I am engaged in.