Mist on a Monday Morning

I wake and yawn at the crack of dawn
With dewdrops on my feet
As I rise up to greet the morning
Nothing much to eat
                       Roy Wood

...well....okay....Saturday morning then...

0600 - 0930 Foggy/overcast clearing, cool, warming later

I was, at least, up with the dawn - just.  Its cracking at 0530, but by 0540 it was still fairly gloomy, so on site by 0600 was fine.

It was its usual noisy noisiness in the village - House Sparrow, Robin, ~Song Thrush, Starling, Collared Dove, Blackbird.

At the orchard house Chaffinch and Wren were singing.  Skylark have spread out somewhat in the past couple of weeks and are now over to the West of the orchard.

Woodpigeon flew in the murk and somewhere above me 2 Herring Gulls cried but were lost to view.  A Crow joined in but at least it was below the fog and could be sen.

A Blackcap has moved in to the trees bordering the West of the field, and was also the first song heard as I approached the pits.  Joined by Great tit, Yellowhammer and Chiffchaff pretty quickly.

On the pits: 19 Tufted Duck, 10 Coot, 9 Great Crested Grebe, 5 Moorhen, 3 Mute Swan, 5 Cormorant, 5 Canada Geese, 7 Mallard, 3 Snipe, 3 Grey Heron.

Over all pretty quiet today.

Green Woodpecker, Reed Bunting and then Whitethroat sang forth.  A pair of Magpies menaced around.  And then....

I saw a bird in a distant piece of scrub so thought I would use my scope, only to find the lens had fallen off.  I re-traced my steps and found it.  Whilst returning to where I had left the scope and to rejoin the two I came across Lesser Whitethroat....so in a funny way I am glad I dropped my lens....though not as glad as when I found it!!

Linnet, Blue Tit, Goldfinch were listed....Cuckoo....Cuckoo....Cuckoo....now, the Collins Bird Guide puts the song as 'goo-ku'...so I dont really know where they went to hear it, but I reckon it must have involved mind altering substances....though anyone wanting to write down how a bird sounds must have an adventurous spirit....!!

Dunnock and....hooray...the bird I have been waiting for above all others....Nightingale.  A real favourite songster for me.  I love bathing in their soundscape when there are a good number around.  Today I found 3 and they were pretty intermittent, so when the rest roll in (12 last year)....let the fiesta begin!!!

Actually, the best place I know to glory in their song is Abbotts Wood, Hailsham.  For the past coouple of years there have been 8 or so in a very small area, literally a few hundred yards wide and deep, with a couple of footpaths crossing the area.  Here you can really submerge yourself not only in their song but seeing them too.  For the most part they are spread widely at Whetsted - but I am not complaining, to hear them is a real treat....one I will again be sharing with my son.  Thankfully in my lifetime I will not have to witness the disappearance of this bird from our shores....and I hope my son doesnt have to witness it either.

Long Tail Tit, Feral Pigeon, Willow Warbler, Bullfinch, Jay and Kingfisher finished my circuit.

Warbler count:
Willow Warbler 1
Chiffchaff 24
Blackcap 15
Nightingale 3
Whitethroat 2
Lesser Whitethroat 1

....you may have noticed the lack of pictures....another dropping episode, this time my camera in to a ditch full of water....it seems to have put paid to my photos from today....and some moth photos from the other day....luckily i remembered to upload my new ringing pictures from my new site on to my pc...so check them out whilst I buy a new camera...!!