Cornwall

While the rest of the country was fighting rain and snow we were in Conwall getting sunburn. Well on one day anyway. We were staying at the Lizard before moving to Sennen for the rest of the week. The two Choughs are offspring of the breeding pair from last year. The breeding pair were busy nest building but were still tollerating their young very close to the nest site.

Chough Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax


Later in the week at Trengwainton Gardens it was warm, sunny and with an abundance of nectaring flowers it was alive with insects (and birds).

Eristalis sp.
Canon Powershot A640. Choughs digiscoped with Leica APO77 x20

Tree Sparrow

OK, it's a rubbish photo but this is only the second Tree Sparrow to grace our garden while we've be paying attention.

Tree Sparrow Passer montanus

Digibinned with Canon Powershot A640 and Leica 8x42BA

Oak Beauty

First 'proper' moth of the year last night to the MV trap. I can never resist a closup of the antennae.

Oak Beauty Biston strataria


Canon Powershot A640

Spring

Felt almost like a warm spring day in mid-March today. The Comma was a day later than my first last year. This and the Sallow studies were at The Boardwalks NR in Peterborough.

Woodwalton Fen NNR at dawn


Comma Polygonia c-album


Sallow blossom




Canon Powershot A640

Old Sulehay Nuthatch

Spent a very pleasant hour in the Yarwell Quarter of Old Sulehay Forest at lunchtime. No Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers but at least four Nuthatches plus other woodland birds including a noisy group of choral Redwings.

Nuthatch Sitta europaea


Digiscoped with Canon Powershot A640 and Leica APO77 x32

Treecreeper Certhia familiaris, showing long hind toe

Digiscoped with Canon Powershot A640 and Leica APO77 x20

Wood Anemone Anemone nemorosa


Canon Powershot A640

Maxey GP

Gave the Etton Road pit at Maxey a really good look today. Birds just keep appearing the longer you look. What looked like one Green Sandpiper to start with turned into seven, a good count for the time of year. The full round up of waders ended up at:
Ringed Plover, 7
Green Sandpiper, 7
Redshank, 3
Lapwing, 65
Golden Plover, 35
Oystercatcher, 1

There was also a little party of 14 Pied Wagtails and a few Meadow Pipits foraging just in front of me so I got the camera out.

Pied Wagtail Motacilla alba yarrellii, first-winter


Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis


Digiscoped with Canon Powershot A640 and Leica APO77 x32

Reed Bunting

Although I've seen one or two fly past, after 10 years in this house this is the first time we've seen a Reed Bunting visit the garden.

Reed Bunting Emberiza schoeniclus

Digiscoped with Canon Powershot A640 and Leica APO77 x20