The strong southerly breeze making bird watching more difficult than of late, as many of the migrants and residents have either disappeared or were hiding in the scrub!
My highlight of my early patrol however was the sight of a large female Sparrowhawk swooping down the gully, at times hugging the edge of the berry laden Blackthorn scrub, until she sharply changed direction and disappeared into a Sycamore tree. A few moments later the alarm call of a Blackbird sounded and the Sparrowhawk took flight swinging off towards the Castle.
Prior to this disruption I had been watching a flock of 2 or so Goldfinches as they pulled seeds from a clump of Woolly Thistles and Wild Parsnip, their constant calling making them difficult to miss.
Some overhead activity included 16 Pied Wagtails and Grey Wagtails and some Meadow Pipits plus hundreds of Swallows. All across the meadows the Swallows were swooping and swinging as they mostly flew towards the east.
Sunbathing in a sheltered hollow was superb Small Copper, the orange win markings just perfect, a few other butterflies included Meadow Brown, Common Blue, Small White, Small Heath, Red Admiral and Painted Lady.
On the ground a Greater Bloody-nosed Beetle trundled across the grass while Crane Flies were fluttering weakly up as I walked by.
Last nights moth trap captured a female Dark Bush-cricket and a selection of moths including Silver-Y, Feathered Brindle, Common Marbled Carpet, Setaceous Hebrew Character, Angleshades and Dun-bar.
A short seawatch produced in the distance a Balearic Shearwater and a Great Skua, as well as a steady (if slow) stream of gleaming white Gannets.