I Don't Believe It!

If you were to visit Black Hole Marsh at the moment you'd probably see this notice on the entrance gate.. In case you didn't already know Black Hole Marsh is a nature reserve... Or is it?

The mind boggles. It really does!

I saw another notice today, one which I did like. I was at Trinity Hill and as I went to look in a field I've always liked the look of (having seen a few Redstarts. Wheatears and Whinchats in it over the years) I noticed there was a new stile and a sign by the gate thus..

New permissive paths around Great Trill Farm. I'll certainly be giving them a try.

I'll definitely be visiting the Trinity Hill Beacon Field more often now too.

Trinity Hill Beacon

The highest point for miles around and a good spot for migrants especially in the autumn.

I've managed to add a few common birds to my patch photo-year-list over the last few days...

No.87  Red-legged Partridge

No.88 Great Spotted Woodpecker

No.89 Kestrel

No.90 Blackcap

N0.91 Magpie

N0.92 Raven

My first Small Copper of the year.

Too Sexy for Beer Head

There wasn't  really much of interest in a couple of hours on Beer Head this morning just a few Wheatears and Blackcaps. Seaton marshes was the place to be! I saw my first Whitethroat of the year here at lunchtime, too brief to get on the photo-list though. Then this afternoon Steve spotted a spanking  male Pied Fycatcatcher there. Beer Head is usually the place to see Pied Flycatchers on patch, especially spring males, in fact the only other adult male I've seen on patch was on Beer Head four years ago (almost to the day...see it here). What a stunner! A truly sexy little bird. I was smitten! In fact unusually for me I spent more time just admiring him than trying for photos. But I did take some...Obviously :-)

No.85 Pied Flycatcher

No.86 Grey Heron

A Couple More For The List ... And A Sad Demise.

I very easily added Willow Warbler to the list today as there were quite a lot of them moving through the valley, I even had a few passing through the garden.

No.83 Willow Warbler

I also caught up with a lovely male Redstart which Steve had found on Seaton Marshes. When I saw it, it was in the churchyard and I only had chance to get a couple of shots before it vanished.

No.84 Common Redstart

One Willow Warbler/Chiffchaff which visited my garden yesterday came to a rather unfortunate end.. So sad after it had made it most of the way home safely... So near but yet so far..

I think I'm right in identifying this poor unfortunate as a Chiff-Willow ...it wasn't identifiable for long though!

..

I thought he would discard this leg but.....

....He swallowed it!!