New bird species - Chiff Chaff

A common bird but only seen on site for the first time today. Not surprisingly it was the distinctive Chiff Chaff song that alerted me to the bird and fifteen minutes with the binoculars paid off eventually.

Waterbird progeny update

There have now been three broods of mallards hatched. The first brood were originally nine but reduced to eight after a few days and are pretty much grown up now and there are still eight. Two recent broods have not stayed around but have gone off in search of better or maybe less crowded water. The second brood was eleven (but one was lost) and the third brood was nine - as shown.

There have been at least two broods of moorhens. The first was five chicks and although one of the parents died there were still some chicks when last seen. The second brood was six chicks and at least one has died and possibly more. Moorhens are diffcult birds to count.

Bat in the lounge

A bat suddenly appeared in the lounge a little after 11pm. I Have no idea how it got in the room but my efforts to let it out were held up for a quarter of an hour by the window having been painted shut at the last decoration. I couldn't tell the species. That is now three times that bats have appeared in the house - all in different rooms.

Single parent moorhen

Having written in a recent blog that both parents as usual were attending to the needs of the five moorhen chicks, I was surprised to find only one parent on duty. The reason became clear as there was a dead moorhen close by floating in the water.The cause of death is not obvious although the neck is broken which may have occurred as I fished it out of the water. The genders are identical so I don't know whether it is the mother or father that continues on feeding duty. I hope it can cope with five chicks....

Butterflies at last

Up until the last few days the only butterflies seen this year have been a few bedraggled looking Tortoiseshells and Peacocks. The warmer weather has brought them out and there seem to be a large number on the wing. The most numerous have been Speckled Woods and Orange Tips but Brimstone and some yet-to-be- identified blues (I haven't got close enough so far) have also been seen.

Moorhen chicks

The first moorhen chicks of the season were out and about today. There is a brood of five which I think is the biggest I have seen here on the moat. Unlike the mallards where the most the drake gets involved in parenting seems to be an occasional bit of guard duty, both moorhen parents are assiduous in their feeding and looking after duties.

Squirrel carrying squirrel

I saw a squirrel yesterday moving slowly away from the house carrying something large in its mouth. I followed it and when I got close it dumped its load which was......another squirrel. The squirrel being carried was slightly smaller and so I am guessing this is its young which was being moved. I left the dumpee alone and when I looked back later it had gone. This activity may be related to the fact that I heard some squirrel type noises from the attic the previous night and we had guests which in turn may have disturbed the squirrel. We had also some attic lights fitted a few days previously so again the combined disturbance may have been too great - I'm pleased to say. It's obviously time to put more peppermint essence in the attic and to try and block the entrance again.