Nature Notes....

So far, it's been a slightly disappointing year - the Barn Owls (indeed all the owls) had seemingly vanished, and no Marsh Harriers or Hobby.

OK, so we had more Lapwing chicks in close view than you could shake Bill Oddie at, and there have been loads of Reed Buntings, plus Sedge & Reed Warblers nesting in the reeds. But it was the big stuff that impressed folk last year, and this year we could only reminisce. But not now. There are Barn Owls in the hood - by sound only at present, but a sighting can't be long off. So they must be nesting a bit further away this year. Tawny Owls have fledged on the other side of the farm yard as well, although unseen by us. There are baby kestrels, and young buzzards as well. Plenty of partridge and pheasant chicks to (as ever). Even the Pie-Eyed Wagtails (well, it is a brewery) have managed to stop eating long enough to breed, successfully. We even have Yellow & Grey types here as well now.

But still no Harrier - but that's OK, we went to somewhere called Norfolk to see some instead - and saw a Hobby to boot (possibly, it was a long way off). Even saw some Bar-Tailed Godwits, which made a nice change from Bar-Towelled Halfwits.

Trouble is, a reduced lack of excitement in the skies has resulted in my looking nearer the ground. And we do seem to have butterflies after all. Ringlets, Meadow Browns, Commers, Red Admirals, Peacocks, Fritilleries, Brown Argus, Small Skippers, Dingy Skippers, Brimstone, Common Blue, and the list goes on. We even have one pupating on the premises. Serves me right saying we were short on them. It seems I was short on seeing them. I may even become a Lepidopteroperlepedoperist as well as developing a Billoddieology. But I won't be sticking pins in them. That's just evil. And it's easier to buy them ready done on Ebay.

As a result I am now expecting to see more things I previously thought we were short of - ie money back from the govt, common sense regulations, twenty pound notes, etc etc. Well, I can hope...