Patch Watch 1st May 2007

As I park my car by the reservoir, a full moon shines from a starry sky but the cool northeast wind continues to blow. Some fifteen minutes later, as I stand on the Greensand Ridge almost owl-like sounds come from the creaking branches of the large beeches in the Deer Park, as they sway in the wind. I wander back down to the barn and hear the 'snores' of the female Barn Owl from her nestbox. A little later I sit downwind of the badger sett for a little while and both Moorhen and Coot call from the lake at 4.30am, as the moon, with an almost orange glow, sinks towards the western horizon and the dawn sky begins to lighten. Five minutes later a Tawny Owl hoots from the direction of the poplar wood and a Carrion Crow calls. The first Blackbird commences singing at 4.36am, a couple of Robins sing and a Mallard calls as a pair drops down towards the Spindlewood pond. A Song Thrush joins the dawn chorus at 4.45am but where are the Little Owls? I learn later that three did call within the Deer Park, where Bob also heard two Tawny Owls, as he sat in the churchyard for his early session. Being downwind of me their calls obviously didn't carry. A Pheasant calls (number 10 at 4.52) and a Wren sings, as I walk slowly down through the Spindlewood orchard. A Woodpigeon 'coos' and a Cuckoo calls distantly just before 5am, as I reach the reservoir, when just a lone planet now shines in the southern sky.

As I walk round the reservoir bank, the Garden Warbler sings from his territory but there are no unexpected visitors on the water, no GC Grebe on a fishing visit to boost the list. A Blackcap sings from close to the Garden Warbler, showing how different their songs actually are and a second Cuckoo calls close by. The expected song from a Chiffchaff emanates from the alder coppice and the first fisherman arrives for the opening of the new season here - a day too early for me! A Canada Goose swims from behind the island, on which his mate is incubating their eggs, and a Common Whitethroat sings. The first Green Woodpecker 'yaffles', as I enjoy a cup of coffee by my car. A Dunnock sings (number 20 at 5.20), a distant Collared Dove calls, several Rooks arrive to feed on the recently seeded Peens Lane arable and a GS Woodpecker drums. A Blue Tit calls from the hedgerow, as I hear the deep calls of the Bar-headed Goose - but he won't be listed! It is 5.30am as two Magpies appear and I decide to do another circuit of the reservoir. Jackdaws are now feeding with a mixed corvid flock of some 60 birds - it increased later to about 120 - and the Bar-headed Goose and a pair of Canada Geese are feeding alongside them. A Chaffinch sings from its usual song post and as I look towards the glow of the rising sun, around 5.50am, a Barn Owl flies over the gate to the fisherman's car park, disappears north along Wierton Hill and a pair of Stock Doves drops onto the southern arable.

I'm feeling decidedly cold at 6am and looking forward to some warmth from the sun, but meanwhile I'll enjoy my breakfast and continue to scan the blue sky and distant horizons. A lone BH Gull flies S and a Swallow alights on a power line over the reservoir (number 30 at 6.10am). Suddenly, a superbly plumaged adult Mediterranean Gull flies S - a first for this date and a real bonus. Interestingly, I shortly find that Bob has also seen one flying S from his western viewpoint and he's also added a number of species that have so far evaded my view, including the Little Owl already mentioned, plus Little Grebe , Cormorant , Grey Heron , Tufted Duck , Sparrowhawk , Kestrel , LBB and Herring Gulls , Turtle Dove , Mistle Thrush , Great and Coal Tit , Jay , Starling and Greenfinch , so the combined total around this time is 47. As I complete my breakfast, just after 6.30am, the adult male Sparrowhawk flies into the poplar wood.

At 6.40am, with the much-appreciated warmth of the sun on my back, I decide to walk around the southern boundary. A lone Goldfinch is the first post-breakfast addition to my list and I can see two Yellowhammers feeding among the emerging oat shoots, as another sings. Bob appears, parks his car in the convenient gap in the hedgerow and joins me. We discuss our respective starts to the day and scan the area as we chat. Two Herring Gulls fly N, eight Yellowhammers are now feeding and a Mistle Thrush flies by. A pair of Greylag Geese flies NE - a species only once before recorded on May 1st, so a welcome bonus (also combined total number 50). More BH Gulls and a graellsii LBB Gull fly N. Another Chiffchaff sings from Bishop's Wood and as we reach Peen's Lane several House Sparrows call from the hedgerow. A Starling flies over and another Herring Gull flies NE, while in the distance two more flocks of eight and four Herring Gulls fly N. We fail to hear a Skylark singing over our patch but one of the Lesser Whitethroats sings from within its territory. Back at the reservoir we see the male Kestrel perched near its nestbox and a Turtle Dove alights on a power line over the southern arable and 'purrs' for us. Two more graellsii LBB Gulls fly NW and a lone Jay flies over, as we walk north from the reservoir just after 8.30am, when two House Martins fly E along the southern boundary - surprisingly, the first for the year here. An immature male Sparrowhawk is mobbed by a Carrion Crow and in turn chases his adversary.

A second Lesser Whitethroat sings from its territory just south of Tanyard, where a LT Tit visits its nest with food and my first Great Tit sings! Just before 9am, as a trickle of BH Gulls continues to fly NE, another Mediterranean Gull calls from the small flock. The Barn Owl obliges for Bob, perched as usual by its nest box, and as we walk along the Greensand Ridge shortly before 9.30am a Common Gull calls - another unexpected addition and a first for May 1st. Shortly before 10am, as we complete a circuit of the orchard, with its new resident Alpacas, two more Mediterranean Gulls call as they fly S - a total of five for the morning. Two Swifts fly N at 10.35am and no others are seen. As we walk around the Deer Park I check the east wall of the church and a Coal Tit flies in with food for its nestlings at 11.12am (my number 50), but there is no sign of a Goldcrest visiting its nest in the nearby yew. A Greenfinch sings as we walk by the Atlas cedar and Bob heads back for his car and home, while I continue to search unsuccessfully for a Goldcrest in the spruce coppice but an immature male Sparrowhawk flies towards the church. I also fail to find a Treecreeper in that area of the Deer Park. I carefully visit all the lone oaks in these southern stretches but am unable to find a single Little Owl but at 12.15am I hear the winnowing of a Little Grebe from the lake, where I can also see two pairs of Tufted Duck.

Now that the local Nuthatches are breeding they rarely call - not one was heard all day and though I think I can hear a snatch of Treecreeper song, I'm not convinced in the wind and these two species continue to elude me, and as I haven't seen or heard a Treecreeper since mid-April, these species are going to be a real challenge to add to the day's tally.

It is just after 1pm, as I return to my car by the reservoir for lunch, an assessment of the day's play and more skywatching for flyover species. We've noted 56 species between us so far and I've yet to see Cormorant, Grey Heron and Little Owl and the most likely possible additions are Skylark, Goldcrest, Nuthatch, Treecreeper, Bullfinch and maybe a Reed Bunting, while a Hobby could appear, so 60 species is just about on the cards but it will require a little good fortune, like a drop in wind strength! Do I sit and await a Hobby - or fall asleep, or visit the alder coppice for Bullfinch and possibly Reed Bunting? The sky seems birdless, so I'll head for the alder coppice at 2.15pm. Two BH Gulls visit the reservoir, attracted by fishermen's bait and another Mediterranean Gull calls, probably from behind me, beyond the tall trees, as I cannot see it anywhere.

Three Swallows fly N, followed by two more LBB Gulls and a 1st summer Common Gull. At 2.40pm, as I walk through the alder coppice, I can hear a Bullfinch calling, will a Skylark oblige as easily. I follow the western boundary north but struggle to hear any distant song clearly in the strong wind and that which I can just about make out is to the west of the patch anyway. While still searching potential Treecreeper localities I find the pond in the marsh literally full of damselflies, the majority apparently Azure Damselflies and also a Large Red Damselfly.

I phone Bob to let him know and he says he'll be back later. During the day we've identified nine butterfly species and Bob's also seen a Hairy Dragonfly. I walk back through the Deer Park and into the graveyard, where fortune smiles and a Goldcrest visits its nest at 4.10pm. Almost an hour later I disturb a Little Owl in the southeastern corner of the Deer Park. Between us we still need two out of the most likely three - Skylark, Nuthatch and Treecreeper - to reach 60 species.

I visit the oaks north of the lake hoping for one of the latter two and another Little Owl flies as I approach one of the Nuthatch territories, but find no sign of the incumbents. I visit a second territory and at 5.35pm a lone Nuthatch visits the nest hole with food - nearly there! Another LT Tit flits by but there is no sign of a Treecreeper in this traditional territory, or in the marsh alders. It is just before 6pm as I return across the sheep pasture and note the passing of two more LBB Gulls, the first looking more like one of the migrant intermedius race, but it disappears behind the poplar wood too quickly for confirmation. The wind has increased in strength and there is no way I can convince myself I'm hearing a Skylark singing and as I walk round the reservoir shortly before 6.30pm the size of the waves suggests the wind strength must be close to force 4, far from helpful. I park by Gravitt's Cottage to listen yet again for a Skylark, when three Cormorants fly E, so I'm on 58 - is 60 possible for me as well, surely another Grey Heron could fly over? Sadly, I decide that in these conditions its not on and call it a day at 6.45pm. When I return home Bob phones to let me know he heard a Treecreeper singing, while he studied the damselflies, so we did reach that now elusive 60.