Baby boom!

Drake Garganey, Teal Hide at Pennington Flash

This Lapwing sat next to a dead Black-headed Gull in the rain like a priest delivering the last rites!

Stock Dove feeding at the back of the garden

Juvenile Blackbird and Collared Dove with some juvenile House Sparrows

Juvenile Collared Dove in the garden

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Juvenile birds everywhere in the garden today - probably because of the incessant rain the garden was busy. In 24 hours the birds have flattened around 2Kg of sunflower hearts!

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At least 25 House Sparrows were present today with around two thirds being young birds. A juvenile Collared Dove was with three adults and of six Blackbirds present, one was also a youngster. Three juv Goldfinches were with five adults, three adults Greenfinches plus a juvenile and four adult Chaffinches plus a juvenile. The young Magpies have started to leave the nest - two young birds were staggering around in a flower bed this afternoon like a pair of drunks. The adults were continuing to feed young remaining in the nest. Three young Blue Tits and two young Dunnocks were being fed by their parents and a juvenile Tree Sparrow was briefly in the Silver Birch outside the conservatory. A couple of Jackdaws and a Stock Dove completed the line up.

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First thing this morning, due to the rain, I decided that sitting in a hide was not so bad and thus visited Pennington Flash. As soon as I landed in the Horrocks Hide John Lyon announced he was watching four Black Terns. Having set up my scope the four quickly became six and later on seven! Not a bad week for terns! A single Common Tern was also around along with approx 400 Swifts feeding over the water.

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Also present at PF was the drake Garganey, five Bullfinches and a pair of Willow Tits feeding a juvenile at the Bunting Hide, 2 Dunlins on the spit and a singing Lesser Whitethroat from Horrocks Hide. A single Chiffchaff and a Blackcap were the only other birds singing. 13 Little Ringed Plovers were scurrying around including two broods of two juveniles and an adult bird incubating. The rain is quite welcome at Penny as it keeps the kids out of the hides.

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At HGF the drake Wigeon was back with 10 Pochard still present. A Little Grebe was feeing at the north end and a singing male Corn Bunting was on the wires opposite the kennels. A Kestrel was hunting over by Midhops and 2 male Reed Buntings were flitting around. Not much else about though. A single Grey Partridge was in a field off Waterworks Lane - 2 Brown Hares were here yesterday.