There are birds everywhere at the moment and the new feeders and viewing screen is proving popular. You can just see a little of the stream from the screen and we watched a Blackbird and a Greenfinch drinking from it one morning.
Robin
Flowers by the dipping pond
One morning this female Blackcap was chirping in the bushes
There are a lot of young Tits - Great, Blue and Long-tailed, it's difficult to leave and go to work when you have the place to yourself and are surrounded by birds!
Blue Tit
Dunnock
I spotted a Song Thrush nest with at least one chick, the nest is empty now and my daughter spotted what looked like a fledgling nearby.
Robin
Woodpigeon
Great Tit - the usual shot I get as the flocks don't stay still for long!
Long-tailed Tit
A Hedgehog
Last week I had a day off so we took the extended walk around the woods, which takes you over the motorway bridge and by a couple of farms. I was doing a Big Butterfly Count along the way.
Speckled Wood
Green-veined White
Speckled Wood
I saw my my second Red Admiral of the year
The views are great
Blackberries are starting to ripen but are still a little sour as my daughter found out!
Common Blue
Last year the Pit Hill fields at the end of the woods were fantastic for butterflies but of course there was the fire, which resulted in the whole lot being ploughed over. Although the grass has come back lots of the flowers that were full of butterflies and bugs has not, I don't know if that's partly down to the heat this year too but we didn't see a single butterfly which was really disappointing. I'm not sure it will ever be quite the same now.
This tiny flower, which I struggled to get a photo of was right in the middle of the path so maybe there is hope for the area......
Common Field-speedwell
On a happier note as we were walking in the field I could hear a bird calling and after a bit of searching managed to spot it on top of the bush........a Yellowhammer! I haven't seen one in a while and now it's a new patch tick, as we watched it another flew in and joined it, amazing!!
