Nordic Jackdaw on Patch

14^th March

Here comes the sun, here comes the sun,
and I say it's all right

Little darling, it's been a long cold lonely winter
Little darling, it feels like years since it's been here
Here comes the sun, here comes the sun
and I say it's all right

Having been alerted to the emergence of butterflies I decided to take a short walk and see if I could be lucky and find even one! I looked at the area behind the church grounds where I have seen early Peacock Butterflies in previous years, but there appeared to be nothing. Having stayed around a short time I did catch a very brief sighting of a butterfly in the undergrowth behind the church ground wall. I lifted my binoculars to catch a better look at it, just as a Wren took my eye away, and the butterfly was gone. Probably a Peacock. My short stop did allow me to watch the Wrens also in the undergrowth and flocks of Goldfinch and Greenfinch high in the trees.

I took a walk to the smaller lake, but I didn’t cross to the larger lake. The ground is still very much waterlogged. Gulls seen where Black Headed, Common and Herring Gull. I could still only find one Great Crested Grebe on this lake. The now regular Oystercatchers were at the side of the water. Other birds on the water were Mute Swan, Canada Geese, at least three Goosander, Mallard, Pochard, Moorhen and Coot.

I returned via the playing fields to the east of the Lake and behind the village. It was beside the area where there is building work in preparation that I finally caught up with the Nordic Jackdaw. I assume it is the one that has been reported over recent weeks. It was amongst the flock which appeared to be flying between the fields and the village.