An already active Hamish reported having seen six Crossbills and two vociferous Reed Warbler on his way into the park. I could not hep but notice the buzz amongst the Willow and Elder outside the centre alive with flying insects including small Hoverflies. Amongst the meadow sward were Gatekeepers and Meadow Browns. The former having wings with pair of “eyes” amongst a blotch of brown and a red patch near the body. Hunting Spider nursery tents were the size of child’s clenched hand amongst the grass. Some of these might have been Wolf Spider’s tent for young. The adult itself hunts down and jumps upon its prey.
I encountered at least three Song Thrush broadcasts today being at Hay Rake Quarr, the norther hedgerow of Taskers and then near the Large Copse. At the last point a Chaffinch sang out from the overhead wires. I went in search of Foxes in a corner of Saxon and was rewarded with seeing an adult. In Taskers a Fox leaving, covered with flies, contained pieces of feather spines suggesting a bird had been on a recent menu! I watched a Skylark in Saxon which after song and flight landed upon and Ant hill. The bird had food in its beak, and I expected it to run along the ground to its nest. However, it flew off to a neighbouring field thus clearly able to deceive potential predators. Another anthill was decorated upon its south facing side with Wild Thyme flowers. A silent observer amongst dead bare Elder branches happened to be a Dunnock. Elsewhere a Goldfinch observed from the crown of a Blackthorn.
Taskers northern hedgerow had Tufted Vetch flowers whose plant tendrils had climbed a good metre through thorns. Bracken fronds were yet to fully unfurl, from which point their spore could be set.
Whilst Elderflower gave a sweet scent on the copse edge, inside Garlic Mustard showed linear seed pods. Elsewhere Stinking Iris had shown swollen seed pods. Upon the woodchip path, from a log a Dryad’s Saddle protruded out.
Back at the centre a Robin flitted between picnic benches and eventually was seen with food in its beak perched upon the nursery fence. Beyond the fence perched on top of a Buddleia there was a Bullfinch. Whilst on the roof ridge there was a House Sparrow, of course! A vey clam see was observed from a distance. A mischievous type had replaced our rain gauge cup with vegetation and small Sloes, perhaps pretending to blame a mouse!