The amazing sight of a Kestrel hovering just above my head, began my morning, this bird of prey, his head still while his body and wings quiver, no luck there, so he swooped down and up to begin the search for breakfast again. A couple of days ago I was lucky enough to watch a Kestrel tearing into, what looked to be a Field Vole, quite fascinating to see the delicate actions as it dissected the mammal with its beak.
The leaves of the Hawthorn are now covering the tree in green, and perched amongst the branches a Common Whitethroat, its white throat resonating as it sung, a scratchy sort of warble.
The gorgeous song of a Song Thrush competing for the airwaves with a Skylark, both unseen, but one blasting from the leaf covered Elder bush, the other from somewhere high in the sky!
Lots of flowers to discover including 4 species of Orchid – Early Spider, Early Purple, Green-veined and the Twayblade.
Many of the meadows have a covering of Cowslips, providing a yellow swathe, while the grasses have really started to grow competing with the other plants.
My first Pale Flax of the year spotted, the tall delicate stem topped with the palest of blue petals.
Across the sky, 2 Cormorants came, flying way above my head, their long black necks and wide wings looking most unusual as they came over, the second sporting a white splodge under its wing.
The Guillemots are attempting to settle on the ledges for the season, but over the last few days have been regularly disturbed by Ravens – probably in search of newly laid eggs, hopefully this will reduce and breeding will be successful. The lower ledge has been relatively undisturbed – but as of yet no eggs have been seen here either.
Two Jays flying through the scrub, white rumps showing as they moved, as did the smaller white rumps of Bullfinches.