Monday 3 March 2014

First Sighting of the Year!

 Reed bunting at Broughall and below, one of three skylarks in the same field


 Feeding station at Broughall

Insert vole here.

Always a thrill to spot the first water vole of the year. Too quick for me to catch with my camera, but he was swimming downstream in the brook which runs through the field off Edgeley Road. There are very few signs here as yet - no latrines and hardly any burrows - although in the past this has been a very strong colony. Areas of this stretch are still flooded, so I don't know how that's affected numbers. I'll keep watching.

4 comments:

Simon Douglas Thompson said...

Lovely birds, Reed Buntings...easy enough to see at local RSPB Reserve, more fun to see them on the local river though

Kate said...

There are lots of linnets here too, and siskins and lapwings and I also saw a meadow pipit last year.

WendyB said...

Saw my first water vole of 2014 today, on a small watercourse in Cambridge!! It was the big male with a dark stripe down his back, that I saw many times last year. He went rustling through some ivy and back to his home under some overhanging brambles, just before dark, about 5.45 p.m. Very pleased - I was concerned that the adverse weather might have done for them.

Kate said...

How fantastic that he's come through the winter! Double joy.