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Thursday 7 April 2011

Nightingale, Willow Warbler - firsts of the year

Light SW wind, 16 degrees, and quite brilliant blue skies, is helping bring in a rush of spring records. In the sallow catkins and Blackthorn flower a Willow warbler, sometimes singing has spent the day in the company of 2 Blackcaps fueling-up ready for another push north. Overhead, a solitary Buzzard put in a show, before leaving the sky to the ever present female Sparrowhawk. There have been four Swallows today feeding in the paddock area and over the garden without doubt village birds here to stay the summer.
Plenty of Butterfly activity to; Orange Tipped Butterfly, 4 Peacock and 2 Holly Blues as well as many Bees (Tawny mining Bee) and other insects notably LAcewings seem to be abundant.

STOP PRESS -
I just stood in the garden (11,20 pm) and a distant Nightingale is in full song. Its singing probably from scrub behind Hornash lane. Without checking, I think this may by my earliest Nightingale, April just keeps getting better and better! What next!

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