Monday 26th April 2010

After an aborted walk yesterday when it chucked it down half way round I had another day off so first thing I was out again to check for last weeks Black Redstart. Weather was fine, sunny to begin with, but cloud building from the west. I thought I was in for a repeat of yesterday morning but thankfully the rain held off.

Behind the ILEX building the Sparrowhawks were present in the Willow as usual, the pair had been spotted mating yesterday.

At Kempston Mill, a Sedge Warbler was singing in the reed bed, but no sign of the Reed Warbler that was there yesterday. I took the route along the back channel between the 2 hedge lines looking for newly arrived warblers but there was little of note other than the regularly spaced Sedge Warblers along the back channel. I'd heard a Grasshopper Warbler reeling along there yesterday but no sign today. Up ahead at the spinney I noticed a raptor interacting with some Crows, this turned out to be a Common Buzzard, probably one of the Box End Park pair.

The island Swan nest was empty again and no sign of either adult, looks like it has been abandoned, especially as both adults were seen away from the nest yesterday during the heavy rain.

There were at least 4 Common Terns over Box End Park, difficult to tell exactly as they were very mobile, chasing noisily around the park and up and down the river. No Hirundines over the lake, unlike yesterday, in the heavy rain when there were many Martins and Swallows over the north lake.

A Lesser Whitethroat was singing at the south entrance to Biddenham Loop CP, several more Sedge Warblers along the river and Common Whitethroats along the roadside hedgeline in BLCP. Along the back of the houses by the golf course a couple of Willow Warblers were singing and a pair of Common Whitethroats were nest building in a patch of brambles.

Plenty of Skylarks along the edge of the golf course and in the fields between Great Denham and Kempston Mill, along with a few Meadow Pipits. As I came to the end of the track across the fields the alrma call of a pair of Long Tailed Tits in the hedge drew my attention. I stood quite close watching them and trying to see what they were getting upset about. Then as I photograped them a brown streak shot across the view finder. I lifted my head to see a Stoat disappear into the hedge. I followed the direction and spotted it again as it stood looking back at me for a split second before it continued on its way.

Little else of note although a fine morning anyway. Looks like last weeks Black Redstart was passing through as there was no sign yesterday or today.