What with the persistent northerly putting the knackers on a big push of migrants it's a bit limboland at the moment. Things are picking up on the moth front, winding down on the winter birds, spring migrants are spluttering into action and nobody knows what lockdown even means anymore (the best one is birders popping into see the Mockingbird while they were 'working in the area') . Restrictions lift soon so hopefully just in time for Spring birding travel to actually be legal.
Back in the week day London stomping ground I had the Iceland Gull again on Friday evening and Zach, Anand and I 'did' the Beddington Park Little Owls that night. The singing male by the stock pond is still very vocal.
Meanwhile at the weekend country retreat I had the noc mig and moth trap on last night and did Otmoor today HERE while we've started work in the Old Vic garden too.
Still no proper summer migrant for me.
The Beddington Farmlands adult Iceland Gull
White-fronted Geese at Otmoor- not actually that many left in the country now
Lapwing at Otmoor- most of the winter flocks have dispersed with more territories taken up. Lots of signing Redshanks and Curlews again today too.
Oak Beautys from Beddington Farmlands
Common Quakers
Twin-spot Quaker (Old Vic)
Clouded Drab (Old Vic)
Small Quaker (Old Vic)
Hebrew Character (Old Vic)
We've put the early potatoes in the new bit of garden (extension of the mini-farm)
Work continues on the Coach House conversion and Bryan's got his new shed too. I've got the beds ready for the mini-farm this year which hopefully will be double the size now. Bryan is also trying to purchase some new land and hoping we might even be able to get some land for a small nature area. Fingers crossed.
Vicki and James have been doing some work in the house too and exposed this interesting wall showing the old C16th exterior wall which has been built on and and old presumably early C20th fire place that has been bricked up. It was all hidden in plaster. Holly and I were thinking of moving house recently (to get some garden for wildlife gardening) but we need to let the London flat out first so in the meantime have moved things around in Holly's part of the Old Vic. If we can get some of the land next to the old vic we could even stay here and do some wildlife gardening/ mini- nature reserve creation on the new land- will see what happens there. I'm quite looking forward to letting out the London flat as it means I'll be living in my camper some of the time and intend to use that time to do some more moth trapping and noc-migging in various locations (mainly on the North Downs) while based in South London for work. Be sad to let the Beddington obs go but after 11 years (and diminishing returns now on the moths from the window and absolutely zero community spirit left) , feels like a good time for a change and explore some more areas- and the main reason is to eventually raise the capital to buy land for a private nature reserve in this country.
No comments:
Post a Comment