The park is still this morning, there is no wind and the temperature is at 15 degrees. The bird calls are travelling across the Downs and above me, as I glance through the moth trap, the Swallows and Martins are stacking up and sweeping through one another, though there is the odd commotion with some Crows and Jackdaws who try to push them away from their pine top roosts. Around the moth trap, on the wall of the Nature Nursery, are lots of Silver-Y moths, as well as on the Buddleia next to the office window, that is next to me as I type this. Their little wings are buzzing with morning enthusiasm, constantly whirring as they inspect their surroundings. I share some of the morning moths with the kids coming into the nursery and it’s wonderful to see how eager they are. Mike (our former apprentice who is back today volunteering – is he mad ! ?) reported over 100 Silver-Y in the trap this morning.
Back to the morning patrol and I decided to take a slow walk around the hedges as there was a lot of activity around the back of the Learning Centre as Grylo was here bird ringing, the recorded calls they play bringing in many of the finches. Actually, it was here at the back of the Learning Centre that a Wryneck was seen yesterday by Warren, one of our regular birders, perched upon an anthill. Myself and Ali tried to find it after work last night but alas, nothing.
The hedges were alive with Chiffchaff and Blackcap, giving out their rather ‘kiss like’ call. Wrens are coming out and I spot 3 on the top of the same clump of bramble. I then see a Chiffchaff shaking its head and peeping closer with my spy goggles I see it has a Greenbottle Fly in its bill. Perhaps it was trying to kill it before eating it, I am not sure, but I witnessed it swallowing it whole. Heading past the meadows, where the beautiful cows are grazing, to the top of the Downs I stop for a while to scan the hedges and I was glad I did as there were 2 Bullfinch flitting around, following one another, one of my all time favourite birds. They look so regal to me, stout, buff, jazzy colours, a real eye catcher! Meadow Pipits zip about along with Great and Blue Tits, Whitethroat and Lesser Whitethroat. I then chat to one of our regular dog walkers and he tells me that he now has 3 Ring Neck Parakeets on his feeders in the morning here in Swanage! And a quick aside, the beach clean yesterday brought in 27kgs of rubbish!