Quiet?

... and rightly so. Deep into the Breeding Season now with sightings at a premium. Leave them be.

So what can I tell you? I have Herring Gulls nesting on my Chimney!

...and a pair of Blackcaps visited my Birdbath...

Avocets and Marsh Harriers are still performing well at Patrington Haven.

On a whim I visited Duff yesterday for a few hours. Hopes weren't high considering the time of Year...but you never know...

Haydn had been earlier and had a Great Spotted Woodpecker, which would have been a Year Tick. After around 45 minutes of seeing very little I heard something VERY significant. Earlier in the Spring there had been plenty of Sedge Warblers around the scrape giving great views. This sound was slightly different. I had my second record of Reed Warbler for the Reserve. I eventually got a glance but no chance of a pic. A three hour watch revealed just 21 Species, the last of which was another Year Tick in the form of a Common Tern feeding along the River. It only appeared as I was packing up! As I left a Blackcap struck up from the copse at the side of the Hide bringing me to three figures for the Year. Maybe not so quiet after all. I need 6 more Species to beat my best Year Total.

I've been doing my Half-time team  talk today whilst watching the Test Match. I've kept the pace at Duff but deliberately hung back at Holmpton to give myself an extended run for the rest of the Year. As you know I like the second half on the Coast much better!