Three new birds for the Garden Lockdown List between 0700 and 0800 today:
- a female Merlin flushed a flock of 10-12 White Wagtails. The Merlin subsequently came back several times in the next hour.
- an over-flying Tree Pipit was a bit of a treat
- a House Martin hawking over the garden.
Not much sign of the Willow Warblers of recent days.
But the Shelduck pairs continue to commute over to the Mere from Skomer: 1-2 pairs seen most mornings, and going back in the evenings.
And a very early morning basking Grass Snake, actually draped over a low branch of a sallow bush!
Now at 32 species in or directly over the garden, and another 8 seen from the garden; I need to do a couple of sea watches to get this bit up!
Postscript: a Song Thrush at 1630, getting the usual friendly reception from the resident Blackbirds.
And the Willow Warblers were back in force from late afternoon, hawking for insects from the sallows: several dozen along the length of the valley.
