14th
April
Cloudless and warm again
although the very light easterly breeze still had a chill to it; the Benthall
loop was quiet with no passage or much of anything noted apart from a Peregrine
unsuccessfully chasing a little group of Racing Pigeons over The Vineyards.
15th
April
Yet another gorgeous day, cloudless,
sunny and warm with the easterly airflow gradually losing its chilling effect;
the loop round Benthall was again uneventful with a Heron heading north
super-high up the only passage noted while other birds included two singing
Whitethroats among plenty of singing Blackcaps, Willow Warblers and
Chiffchaffs, a couple of Red Kites and a single Rook. The highlight came later on though with a
singing Grasshopper Warbler in a great looking set-aside field just down the lane
in front of Manor Farm – I remember there being one singing in almost the exact
spot when I was at school many years ago, I can’t say if its therefore a
regular site as I would never check that area in April if it wasn’t for this
lockdown! It was a great area through
with numerous singing Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs around the edge and a group of 4 Wheatears on a bare field up the
stream to the east.
16th
April
Similar weather again but it
clouded over by mid-afternoon; the highlight of the Benthall loop was
definitely a gorgeous male Redstart
giving little bursts of song from an isolated tree at the main Benthall
Pools. There was limited other things
to mention but the Grasshopper
Warbler sang
again briefly in the afternoon from the same field while there was a new Whitethroat
back on territory in that area as well.
17th
+ 18th April
Nothing at all to mention, even
though effort remained constant.
19th
April
Bright and sunny, warm with a
moderate easterly breeze; nothing to mention on the Benthall loop but the first
Lesser Whitethroat of the year was giving
little bursts of song in a hedge to the east of Wyke and a Sand Martin flew
through. Also of note were the first
Red-tailed Bumblebee queens on the wing that I’ve seen this spring.
20th
April
Sunny and breezy through the
day; birds of note round the Benthall loop comprised a group of three House
Martins north along Benthall Edge and three Peregrines, also over Benthall Edge
which I think were the local pair seeing off an immature male – they were a
long way away when I saw them.
Redstart
Jay
Blackcap
Whitethroat
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