Lower Paddock

Oh well yet another Spotted Flycatcher comes and goes at the Valley without yours truly being any where near the area.........

 

As such i was at the Lower Paddock this morning for about 7ish in the hope that latest of the visitors had decided to hang about for a bit.

 

The paddock was busy this morning; a lot busier than normal, in fact i havnt seen it so busy since it was covered in Redwing and Fieldfare late last year after the berries. From the gate the first bird was a Lesser Whitethroat along the edging to the back lake, shortly followed by another however this time it was in the bushes running up the side of the path.

 

As i edged my way along the fencing it was evident that most of the Whitethroat, some 20 odd in total and now 6 Lesser Whitethroat were fresh faced youngsters.

 

Again fresh faced and looking good were the Chiffchaffs who were silently working the shrubs.

 

At the far end looking into the farm fields the closest held c135 Lapwing; while during my stay 6 Great Spotted Woodpecker flew calling as they went from Berwick Glade over towards the scrape, dispersed with 4 Green Woodpecker also heading in the same direction.

 

A high flying Snipe plummeted down into the sodden area between river and back lake and whilst watching this a distant Water Rail could be heard.

 

As the rail finished the racket of Ring Necked Parakeet slowly got louder and louder as two headed off towards Berwick car park.

 

A mystery came into view briefly and this then kept me busy for a while as i tried to relocate it but it didnt happen.

 

On the way back to the car i stopped off at the iron bridge again; there has been a couple of Mute Swan hanging around that area with three signets, one of them was ringed with the same colour ring as 4ANA my Tit Lake bird but so far i havnt been able to read it, i kind of thought it may have been 4AMG the first of these that i found as this was in the exact same area.

 

It read 4ANW and then to my suprise i looked at the other bird and this was also ringed 4ANV; ive sent the records off to the Mute Swan Ringing Group and await their response however if like the other two i cant imagine these two have done too much apart from Harrow Lodge to Ingrebourne Valley

 

4ANV & 4ANW



 

 

 UPDATE: