Summer at last

Lade - warm, dry and sunny, E 2 - These past few mornings have been spent criss-crossing the local patch checking on the breeding birds and enjoying the wide range of flowering plants now in bloom following last weeks deluge. The garden moth trap has also been busy with a steadily rising list of regular early summer macros coming to light.

                                Cypress Carpet

                                Green Carpet

                                Mullein Wave

                                Tawny Shears

  The warbler tribe were very much in evidence out back with seven species confirmed breeding and another probably so. Cuckoos were highly vocal and juvenile Starlings were everywhere feeding on cranefly larvae and the myriad of invertebrates coming off the sward. On the debit side I could only find two pairs of Meadow Pipits and Skylarks. On the lakes a pair each of Shoveler and Pochard appear to be breeding.

                                Juvenile Starlings are all over place at the moment

                               Wren - the little bird with a big song!

Hastings CP - On Sunday we ventured over to Fairlight for a change of scene at the country park which looked in superb nick in the bright sunshine. The rolling hills are a complete contrast to the flatlands I`m used to, so I was soon puffing and panting, up hill and down dale like a Billy goat. Stonechats were most obvious feeding juveniles and chacking away, along with Whitethroats, Linnets, Mipits and even a Yellowhammer. Overhead both Peregrine and Raven were noted.

                                Stonechat were commonplace around the country park