A Green Surprise!

Since the Waxwing left my walk to work has been rather quiet, but yesterday i got a surprise. Cutting across Jenny Lind park close to where James and i used to live i over heard a couple "...oh they've got parakeets here like at home" they pointed at something and carried on walking. Well I've been to Titchwell recently and I've heard some bizarre ID calls by people with spotless Swarovski scopes and a pristine Collin's Guide. This said i had to look, without my bins i couldn't see a thing in the tree they pointed at, but as i was about to go sure enough a Ring-necked Parakeet flew over my head into a different tree. Whether the bird is genuine or an escape I'll probably never know, unless i spot a 'Lost Parakeet' poster on Monday morning, none the less a nice little surprise before work.

With today being Father's Day we took Laura's dad for a walk around Strumpshaw Fen. The cool breeze and occasional drizzle killed on the chance of seeing many dragonflies or butterflies, i only saw a unidentifiable hawker buzz past and single Blue-tailed Damselfly all the way around. Bird life was much more promising with many young fledglings in the reed beds and bushes seemed alive with warblers. Cetti's, Grasshopper, Reed, Willow, Sedge, Blackcap, Whitethroat, and Chiffchaff were all seen. The ducks all looked rather drab in ellipse plumage, not good when trying to give Laura's dad a lesson in Bird ID. At least 4 Marsh Harrier hunted over the reserve with a pair of Hobby zooming around amongst the hindrines. A Cuckoo was heard but couldn't be found and of the other small birds 2 Marsh Tit by the river proved the highlight. Kingfisher and Otter had been seen from Reception Hide but after 20min or so we decided to head home for lunch.