YEO VALLEY MORNING WALK
WEATHER; wall to wall sunshine once again, a light breeze gathering momentum during the morning
Before I began my walk at 6:45am I scanned the ploughed field outside our garden and found a surprising number of birds, 11 species in all:
Herring Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Wood Pigeon, Stock Dove, Pied Wagtail, Red-legged Partridge, Pheasant, Blackbird, House Sparrow, Goldfinch and Dunnock.
I fumbled around with my scope and phone to try and get a picture of the Stock Doves, but they flew off. Those birds are so scatty, none of the other species batted an eyelid. So I ended with up a picture of the Gulls.
I walked more or less straight to the KIngfosher nest hole and set up my scope ready for my spectacular picture of the Kingfisher..............however, my picture required the presence of a Kingfisher and that did not materialise. I did find, yet another, Wrens nest. A male Wren was singing as usual then he dashed off and came back with a mouth full of moss. He flew straight up to the Kingfisher hole and landed just above it and disappeared into the grass.
Wren with a mouth full of moss
Further down the trail I stopped to listen to Goldcrest, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Chaffimch and Robin. At the corner where the stream meets tthe River Yeo I stopped and stood in my usual place, it is amazing how many different species I have seen just standing there. Then all of a sudden I heard, "honk", "honk" and there above me flew a group of 5 Canada Geese, wow! That was number 71 on my Isolation List.
a small section of the River Yeo, how beautiful is that?
I spent a lot of time around the brambles on the slope of the hill, I had heard a Cuckoo again but it had stopped quite a while back. I traced another Goldcrest that was singing away in the lovely sunshine. A Blackcap showed well at times, but most of the time he chasing a female around. Both Goldfinch and Linnets were busy around the brambles as was Song Thrush, Robin, Dunnock and another Wren.
Red Admiral - this specimen failed to open its wings for me
I walked up and over the hill heading back home before I made my last stop near the stream back at the entrance to the walk. I watched a few butterflies, Orange Tip, Green-veined White and this Speckled Wood.
Speckled Wood
I also took this series of pictures depicting the four stages of the Dandelion Flower
The Bud
the Flower head
the seed head
the dead head after the seeds have blown away