I know a bank whereon
the wild thyme blows,
Where ox-lips and the nodding violet grows;
Quite over-canopied with luscious woodbine,
With sweet musk-roses, and with eglantine.
Where ox-lips and the nodding violet grows;
Quite over-canopied with luscious woodbine,
With sweet musk-roses, and with eglantine.
Midsummer Nights Dream-Shakespeare
Since finding my first Sand Martins of the year over Killingworth Lake on 1st April I’ve been
on what I choose to call gardening leave (no choice but to rest following minor
surgery) so the birding joys of April have in the main passed me by. I did go under the anaesthetic thinking of a
birding activity, but I was soon brought back to reality when I awoke and
realised that minor surgery didn’t mean minor pain afterwards.
So gardening leave has meant garden watching only for most
of the month and it was during one of those balmy sun drenched days of early
April that I saw my first butterfly of the year on 11th April in the
form of Small Tortoiseshell. As light faded that same day I noticed that
the corvids returning to roost were no longer flying in large dark flocks as in
winter, but very often in well defined pairs as they gracefully swooped and
almost danced in the air in what seemed to be a ritual courtship.
On the 13th April as my mind cleared of
painkillers (might as well be dramatic about it) I found my first Blackcap of the year just outside of
the window. I’m hoping that it will hang
around and nest as it had done in 2015.
On 14th April I found what I thought was my first
Willow Warbler of the year in the garden but on closer examination the dark
legs, flicking tail and eventually the calling from higher in the trees informed
me that it was a Chiffchaff, still a
rare bird for the garden. That same day
the pair of Blue Tits was busy at
the nest box and I watched as on one occasion the male bird flew to the top of
the box and passed a small feather to the female which then entered the box to
add the feather to the nest. In recent
years this species has begun to prospect the box very early in the year. Great
Tits, Coal Tits and 2 Long Tailed
Tits were visiting the garden too that afternoon.
The Dunnocks have been very active for weeks now, although
it always proves difficult to try to identify pairings of this species which
has such a complicated system of breeding.
I managed to catch one female in the process of seemingly inviting
mating as she fluttered her rear end feathers.
The male came and pecked at the cloaca before chasing off a rival for
his mate’s attentions.
So watching the garden and listening to the birdsong has
brought me back to some basics which isn’t such a bad thing. On the 24th April I managed to get
down to the lake. It was great to be out
in the fresh air again. A bit late I
know but I managed good sightings of my first Willow Warblers and Swallows of the year. A male Reed
Bunting was looking resplendent as
it joined the Willow Warblers by
the side of the smaller lake and Grey
Heron was partially hidden in the reeds.
The lake was generally quiet, but the two pairs of Great Crested Grebe remain, three Oystercatchers were heard before being seen and there were a few Pochard about. A pair of Lesser
Black-backed Gulls caught the eye too.
The above sums up an uneventful April in terms of bird watching. I’m hoping May see’s me back out in the
field. In fact tomorrow 30th April
Sam and I lead the Dawn Chorus Walk at the Rising Sun, so it is a very early
morning start for us. The event is fully
booked I believe so I’m hoping it isn’t
a production of singing in the rain or even worse hail and snow!
