Regulars & visitors!

All the local birds are well underway with nesting & pairing, & plenty of visitors are doing the same.
Dippers are noticeable by not many sightings - probably due to Mrs on eggs & Mr not needing to be so busy yet! but he's still around if you look carefully. Kingfishers are doing the same thing & very quiet. Warblers - well they seem to be everywhere, Blackcap sightings & territories galore, Willow Warblers & Chiffchaff's are similar. A Garden Warbler, maybe setting up a territory too, hope he finds a lady friend, I heard a couple of Whitethroats, but alas, not seen much of them yet, but others have. G.S. Woodpeckers are busy too with a couple of nest sites seemingly underway, & a couple of Common Sandpiper were hanging around the riverbank recently.
At the feeders - well the birds are still coming, probably getting some fast food to keep their energy up with all the hard work they will be doing. Bullfinches galore still, possibly the last week or so now & they will disappear to go nest as the bramble & leaf growth is about to explode, just how they like it.

Myself & Allan were trying hard to capture the Garden warbler on Sat, & failed miserably but this Kestrel performed nicely to cheer us up.

Later a second one joined it & they wandered off, so locally this looks good for a possible pair.

 

 Chaffinches grabbing some fast food! males are looking "well smart" now.

 

Jays are surprisingly still begging for some nuts! This is the look I get if I don't fill their stump fast enough!

Searching for some!

"Please sir can I have some more",I'm getting informed the holes empty!

 

What's wrong with THIS picture?

& just for comparison -

 Somebody has had a pretty close shave, maybe with a Sparrow hawk!

Bullfinch male,Look at his colours stand out in the sun!

 

A couple of Reed Buntings are Clearly Lady free & still around.

 Posing!

Weeeeeeeeee!

 

Not forgetting the "Bread & butter" species:

 Coal Tit

 Blue Tit

Great Tit

 

Just for fun! Here's a "Willow-Chiff" as I was taught as a young Lad.

This one should be a Chiffchaff! as we had it belting one out just a few feet away previous to the snap!  Three other witnesses to back me up too. lol.

 

Keep your eyes peeled & your ears open - It's building up nicely.

 

Pics of Cromwell Birds

             Just a few pics taken lately.

Birds and Butterflies and the return of the Vole

                                       Peacock Butterfly warming itself on the gravel path at tag loop

                                             Chiff Chaff feeding in the branches at Tag Loop

                                             Bullfinch(M) looking his best for his mate

                          Male Chaffinches are looking their best at this time of the year

                     Great Tits seem to be all around making their distinctive sounds

                                              Our little Coal Tits are as agile as ever

A female Chaffinche may not be as attactive as the male but she's preparing to bring in the next generation. That makes her special

 Our Male Reed  Buntings are getting bolder, coming onto the logs on a regular basis.

 Robins are singing all over the reserve, declaring to other Robins, keep out this is mine. This one certainly looks as if he's in charge around the viewing station (At least as other Robins go)

    Stock Doves have been increasingly getting closer. More competition for the peanuts

 This Magpie couldn't wait until we had all gone before he came down. He looks disappointed.

                                    This Wren was busy getting ready to for house building.

 We have been wondering about the voles. Well they are back and it is great to see them around.

                          First Male Orange Tip I'd seen and the first I've photographed this year.
                                                Glad it chose to rest while the others were talking

                     My first Comma of the year warming itself on the gravel path at Tag Loop

Warblers

An early walk around the reserve this morning produced ; -
16 Chiffchaff
13 Blackcap
12 Willow Warblers
1 Reed Warbler
1 Garden Warbler
1  Whitethroat
All singing males I also saw 4 female Blackcaps, 4 Gooseander (1m and 3 f) , 3 Male reed bunting + the usual residents....

Bempton Trip Roundup on Offsite Page.

If you would like to see a taste of the Great Day out we had at Bempton, there's a little roundup on the Offsite page.
A lot of the Birds were coming in so close you could have used macro lenses to photograph them. Any camera would have got you at least a few great pictures.

Black cap collecting nest material near the lagoon today

Mink on the river today

Getting to like this place thanks to the helpful members ie Graham Alan Steve to name but a few

A kestrel was looking for lunch today on the pylon near the feeders

From The Undergrowth

Part 2

Robin in dappled light

Robin

Male Bullfinch

Reed Bunting

ditto

And finally my favorite 

Hope you enjoy them click on the image for a better view. gwh