21st
April
Sunny and warm again but with a
blustery easterly breeze; the Benthall loop was quiet again with presumably the
same male Redstart at
Benthall Pools giving a little burst of song and a single Peregrine distantly
over Benthall Edge. My first Comma
(overdue?) and Green-veined Whites were on the wing along the lanes.
22nd
April
Sunny and warm (almost hot at
some points!) again with a much lighter breeze, I completely changed my routine
and walked the Benthall loop at first light today (pros and cons of doing it
this way – more singing passerines and fewer people but less soaring raptors
and it doesn’t break the day up as well!).
There was a corresponding increase in singing warblers as totals
comprised 19 Blackcaps, 4 Whitethroats, 2 Willow Warblers and 8 Chiffchaffs
along with the Redstart
again singing in the same spot, a Siskin at Benthall, a late Redwing at
Benthall Farm, a single Meadow Pipit (scarce now) and two Mute Swans which flew
into land on the pools – the first time there’s been any there this year – they
usually breed there but perhaps the pool is too overgrown now? Wyke was quite productive in the afternoon
with presumably the same Grasshopper
Warbler singing
again, this time from a Rape field close to Whitehouse Farm, the first Yellow Wagtail over to the north, two
Sand Martins and a House Martin with Swallows overhead and a noticeable influx
of Whitethroats with lots more singing males in the hedgerows. The first few Speckled Woods were also on
the wing.
23rd
April
Warm and dry again but with a
bit more scattered, high cloud; the Benthall loop was quiet with the pair of
Peregrines again over Benthall Edge with a small, dark 2cy male zooming past
Benthall Farm along with migrant totals consisting of 13 Blackcaps, 3
Whitethroats, 2 Willow Warblers, 8 Chiffchaffs and the Redstart again singing
from the same Oak tree at Benthall Pools.
My first Red Admiral of the year was seen down the lane – unusually
there didn’t seem to have been any emerging from hibernation earlier in the
spring when the Peacocks and Small Tortoiseshells started to appear.
24th
April
Fine, sunny and warm yet again;
there was another little influx of Whitethroats into the area with six round
the loop (including one male who was singing constantly, even as he was
collecting nesting material) and many more in the hedgerows around Wyke,
associated with these was a singing Lesser Whitethroat at Watery Lane. There
wasn’t too much else with two Cormorants over, the first Canada Goose goslings
on the pools and a single Wheatear
on the same bare field to the SE of Wyke.
25th
April
Nothing to report!
26th
April
Still warm, dry and calm but it
clouded over by the afternoon with some light drizzle; not too much to mention
through the day with the exception of a group of three Cormorants north over Benthall
Farm (a peak count for the site), the singing Lesser Whitethroat still at Watery Lane and a nice group of 4 Wheatears on the now favoured bare
field to the SE of Wyke.
27th
April
Warm, dry and calm still but
completely overcast right through the day; the change in conditions didn’t do a
lot but the overdue first Swift
of the year flew west over Wyke.
Green Woodpecker
Pied Wagtail
Greylag Geese
Comma
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