...apparently some clown has predicted that the next 10 Summers will be like this one, I heard this a couple of times on Radio 4 and Radio 2 last week....!
...so I was driving along the road this morning and thinking about Vivaldi's Four Seasons....Summer in particular with its storm...thats when I remembered I had forgotten my camera again and left my waterproof hanging in the hallway....luckily the rain was light and lasted not too long so wasnt much of a bother...unlike the murky grey clouds that have marked this Summer as a particular one to forget....
Talking of butterflies, we went for a walk yesterday round an old orchard which is not too far from our house here in Pembury...I think its on the edge of Snipe Wood which you can pass through to get to the far side....okay, so the weather was cloudy (again)...but it was warm-ish and though rain seemed threatening it didnt...it wasnt until we were nearly back through the orchard (apparently owned by some Indian Investment company with the hope of developing it for housing though from the anecdotal evidence suggests hell will freeze over first, so they have hung on to it and allowed a once productive, lively orchard employing a number of people to decline, this isnt necessarily a bad thing considering wildlife as its mostly left alone these days...but maybe the area could be better used but never will)...anyway, I digress. Almost back to the beginning of the circuit and I realised I hadnt seen a single butterfly of any kind....!
0420 W F2-3 100% cloud cover, eventually WSW-SW F2-3, brightening at 0600 but 100% cloud cover 0700
It seemed pointless getting out of bed too early, even though it was mid-Summer (hahahahahahaha!!!) the continued cloud meant daylight (?!) was always going to be a little later...and it was...it had just got light when I arrived.
Song Thrush, Blackbird (distant Cockerel West of village), Wren, House Sparrow appeared immediately. Robin across the orchard. Skylarks in the fields, distant Woodpigeons, Crow, Whitethroat.
At the pits Blackcap, Jackdaw, Yellowhammer, Mallard with 4 juveniles and 4 further on, Coot with 3 juveniles and a further 1 later. Tufted Duck, Magpie, Reed Bunting, Great Crested Grebe (im fairly sure these arent going to breed with any success), Mute Swan (now several seemingly on nests), Chiffchaff.
Reed Warbler has re-located to the West and a Sedge Warbler has moved South a little. Great Tit.
On the gravel/sand bar in one of the large pits were 25 Coot, 1 Lesser Black Back Gull with another flying over. Moorhen in the distance.
Goldfinch, Linnet, Feral Pigeon all at the quarry. Approx 25-30 Swift over though very low, much lower and they would have been walking or burrowing!
Green Woopecker, Chaffinch. Lesser Whitethroat found again on the North side of the site.
Peregrine Falcon swept in low but nothing moved. Pied Wagtail, Meadow Pipit, Starling, Collared Dove on the way back. Finished 0720.
Warbler Count:
Whitethroat 15
Lesser Whitethroat 1
Blackcap 14
Chiffchaff 10
Garden Warbler 0
Nightingale 0
Willow Warbler 0
Yellowhammer count: 7
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