After yesterday’s constant rain, which for the entire day produced 44mm of precipitation, the ground has a softer feel underfoot. The stillness of the air remarkable first thing, with small patches of blue amongst the grey foreboding clouds.
The small birds seemed to be taking advantage of the drier weather, with a flock of Goldfinches tinkling as they took flight from the Hawthorn tree. As I enjoyed this spectacle a flash of a red tail caught my eye and a Redstart popped into view – what a fantastic bird to see.
As I looked across the scrub, the Old Man’s Beard was rambling over the Blackthorn, some lemon yellow flowers showing beautifully. As I admired this a Chaffinch landed, making the stem sway.
On one of the hay bales in South Field, a male Kestrel stood, the chestnut colour contrasting with the grey head, its eyes watching for any activity below, perhaps a late breakfast required!
A few moments later a female Kestrel flew across towards the tall Black Pines of the Large Copse, a more dappled colourations all over.
A scattering of flowers still to enjoy with the delicate pale blue of Field Scabious, mostly the heads leaning sideways after the recent drenching. A few Small Scabious also to spot along with Greater Knapweed and some very bedraggled Bristly Ox-tongue flowers.
From overhead a deep throated croak to be heard, and a Raven passed by, this huge black corvid showing off its wedge-shaped tail, thick shaggy neck and long fingered wings. In the background a much smaller Carrion Crow followed along, providing a brilliant opportunity to compare these closely related crows.
Moving quickly between the branches and twigs of Elder, Blackthorn and Bramble a few Blackcaps, both the black capped adult male and the brown capped female.
On a Wayfaring Tree, a Tree Pipit was perched, and I spent a little while checking I was happy with identification, but everything seemed right – of course it was not uttering any sound which makes it much easier to tell some species apart!