My Singing Bird - Corn Bunting

An early morning start for my last Corn Bunting survey of the year on my biggest farm. The conditions were cool at around 15c, and almost no wind and silent. 

I decided to make a concentrated effort and walked every field and on either side of the dykes, that meant I couldn't finish the survey before the birds stop singing, so I'll need a second day.

It was a strange day, I saw 8 Corn Buntings but only one singing male. The rest appeared to be females near nests, with two alarm calling and displaying even though I was a good distance away. Perhaps it was the near silence of the morning and they could hear me tramping up the fields!

One of the target species is Curlew, and for the first time ever I could hear one calling in the barley. I'd rather it was a Quail though as I haven't heard one for a few years now.

Another species I thought was unusual near the coast is Wheatears, and yet there are two broods at opposite ends of the farm. There may even be more as on earlier surveys I counted 3 or maybe 4 pairs.

Today I also found a new mammal species, as well as the expected/likely Roe Deer and Brown Hares, I had a totally unexpected Brown Rat, the first seen in 8 years, and nowhere near the farm buildings. Regular readers may now expect a relevant video, or more like a tenuous link, I've tried to achieve it!

Late addition, a link to an article in the Guardian about not importing game birds to be shot, this is related to Avian Flu on rearing farms in Europe. Guardian article

My Singing Bird

Corn Bunting alarm        Skylark alarm        Ben - Michael Jackson

Wheatears on my Corn Bunting survey have fledged at least 5 young, likely more as there's lots of cover and a few separate locations on the farm where I saw adults in late spring

Skylarks have also produced chicks, with two broods sitting along two different drystone dykes and many birds flying up from the cereal fields

I didn't count how many Meadow Pipits I saw, probably near 20, and many were seen with their beaks full of food, sitting on the dykes waiting for me to pass by

I may follow this up with a report on the second half of the Corn Bunting survey, in the meantime I've posted these from one of the hot days at the start of the week

Moving on to the local House Martins around my house, one of which slowed down just enough for this single photo

Swifts are infrequent visitors over the garden, I need to go somewhere they're likely to be taking on water

Honey Bee, numbers are increasing here

Patchwork Leaf-cutter Bee (best effort ID)

Large White Butterfly, it looks to be depositing an egg on the same plant species as the Small White was earlier this month

I believe this is the first Meadow Brown Butterfly I've photographed in my garden