Minwear and Pickle woods this morning

The last "BBS season" visit to Minwear and Pickle woods this morning was fairly productive. Although the aim was to record adult birds, there were many family parties feeding and moving around the woodland.

The most vocally obvious species being song thrush, with many in full song and lots of juvs also present. Some fairly recently fledged wood warblers were seen in Minwear plus a good scattering of chiffchaff and blackcap families and at least two goldcrest families.

No juvenile redstarts were seen today but, judging by the size of some of the invertebrate prey being taken to a nest by the adults, presumably fledging will not be too far away. Large moths, caddis flies and occasional quite chunky beetles were being fed to young still in the nest - including a possible chafer? species.

This chunky beetle might be a small-medium sized chafer species?

Dippers were not seen on the bit of the river we viewed this morning. Water levels (high tide) at this location might have been a bit too high for good feeding. The resident grey wagtails (including some well grown and fully independent juveniles) were around though - the adults perhaps now onto a second brood?

Shelduck families are now starting to appear along the Cleddau. A few days ago a pair with 10 ducklings was near Landshipping - the adults doing a good job at the time to see off passing herring gulls. They will have had their work cut out though, and this morning will probably have had to fend off a raven family patrolling the Eastern Cleddau.