Firstly I set off for Farmoor reservoir where a number of interesting birds had been spotted recently. It was cloudy but fairly warm and hardly any breeze. The water was like a millpond, ideal for some children learning to paddle board I would imagine.
I walked up the causeway; there were lots of pied wagtails flitting about and a couple of grey wagtails too. I found a couple of dunlin too
.On the water there were also large numbers of coots and great crested grebes. I also spotted a yellow legged gull and a common tern and four young adult red crested pochards.
My list was as follows:
cormorant, mute swan, coot, heron, great crested grebe, dunlin, pied wagtail, grey wagtail, common tern, herring gull, blackheaded gull, yellow legged gull, red crested pochard, swallow, (sand?)martin, green woodpecker.
dunlin
yellow legged gull
a number of blackberries already ripe
(No sign of turnstone or ruddy shellduck)
As the sun started to break through the cloud, I headed off down the A34 to Greenham common where I hoped to find a grayling butterfly. However, I didn't manage to spot any, although there were plenty of gatekeepers, meadow browns and common blues. I also spotted linnets, meadow pipits and stonechats. I'm hoping to be in Norfolk next week, so maybe I'll have more success there, if the sun comes out!
common blue
linnet
stonechat
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