The long run of east to northerly winds was broken on the 22nd with a gentle SE’ly warming us. It was short lived though as NE’lies had returned by the end of the week. We saw plenty of sunshine throughout although temperatures were down a bit at times due to the wind direction. There was a sharp shower on the 23rd and dark, foreboding clouds loomed offshore on the 24th.
A pair of Great Spotted Woodpeckers has been very busy of late, flying backwards and forwards over the garden many times each day; it’s obvious from the raucous calling of young woodpeckers that a successful breeding attempt is underway. Hopefully any passing Grey Squirrels will leave them well alone.
It could be shaping into a better year than of late for Turtle Doves as having made several sightings already this year, another flew northward at Whimpwell Green on the 21st. As well as the environmental pressures that all our birds have to endure, the humble Turtle Dove has to face a barrage of guns at various places in the Mediterranean each spring and autumn. Little Tern was added to the 2008 tally on Friday 23rd when 7 were noted offshore from the old Decca site. All were heading south along the coast in a loose flock and were probably birds from one of the colonies along the east Norfolk coast that had ventured up here on a feeding foray. Back at the Cart Gap ‘pay & display’ a pair of rather tired looking Dunnocks was busily feeding 2 very recently fledged offspring, several straggly filaments of down still obvious around the perpetually hungry youngsters’ heads. An endless task, there may be little respite for them as a second brood may follow closely…
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