During the lockdown I've spent more time covering my local patch than I'd normally do. In the process I've got to know it a lot better.
Its walkable from the house and easy to get around in a short space of time.
Its a reclaimed moss area adjacent to a river estuary and marsh, close to the coast.
Usually I'd visit once or twice a week; this year I've been there almost daily on my regular exercise routine.
I always knew it was a regular passage route for Northern Wheatear; confirmed when 23 individual counts were recorded from April to the beginning of May.
Most stopped off at the same place; a corner of the marsh where driftwood had gathered after the winter storms. Three Whinchat called in there one morning too. A Common Redstart passed through, nearby, as well. Normally I'd give that area a miss- I wonder what I've been missing over the years! Its closer to the house so I visited this particular little area more often this Spring.
I'd never seen or heard a Lesser Whitethroat here before. This year two were located- maybe because I've spent more time here than normal.
Because the visits were almost daily, I noticed the arrival of new migrants on their separate territories. Up to now 8 Sedge Warbler and 3 Common Whitethroat have arrived.
A Tree Sparrow was seen in an area where I've never recorded this species before;I found a pair of Stock Dove nesting in a tree I'd never even noticed was here, all the years I've been visiting.
Two Ringed Plover, and two pairs of Red-breasted Merganser, possible breeders have been around for weeks. If my visits had been less regular, I might have missed them or assumed they were just passage birds.
It always was was a reliable place for passage Meadow Pipit and Linnet. Most days tens of Linnet passed through; the biggest flock totalled eighty.
So I've got to know my local patch better at the expense of missing out on visits to other widespread places I'd normally visit this time of year.
Its walkable from the house and easy to get around in a short space of time.
Its a reclaimed moss area adjacent to a river estuary and marsh, close to the coast.
Usually I'd visit once or twice a week; this year I've been there almost daily on my regular exercise routine.
I always knew it was a regular passage route for Northern Wheatear; confirmed when 23 individual counts were recorded from April to the beginning of May.
Most stopped off at the same place; a corner of the marsh where driftwood had gathered after the winter storms. Three Whinchat called in there one morning too. A Common Redstart passed through, nearby, as well. Normally I'd give that area a miss- I wonder what I've been missing over the years! Its closer to the house so I visited this particular little area more often this Spring.
I'd never seen or heard a Lesser Whitethroat here before. This year two were located- maybe because I've spent more time here than normal.
Because the visits were almost daily, I noticed the arrival of new migrants on their separate territories. Up to now 8 Sedge Warbler and 3 Common Whitethroat have arrived.
A Tree Sparrow was seen in an area where I've never recorded this species before;I found a pair of Stock Dove nesting in a tree I'd never even noticed was here, all the years I've been visiting.
Two Ringed Plover, and two pairs of Red-breasted Merganser, possible breeders have been around for weeks. If my visits had been less regular, I might have missed them or assumed they were just passage birds.
It always was was a reliable place for passage Meadow Pipit and Linnet. Most days tens of Linnet passed through; the biggest flock totalled eighty.
So I've got to know my local patch better at the expense of missing out on visits to other widespread places I'd normally visit this time of year.
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One of the birds was also widening the hole - why would it do this at this point?
