Saturday 23rd to Friday 29th May
The Meadow, especially to the north of what remains of the floods is currently covered in a wonderful carpet of buttercups and is looking especially pretty right now. There are also little pink flowers which I think are lady's smock (though I am no expert). The main point of interest this week has been the amazing migration of painted lady butterflies which has continued all week. Dozens of these insects can be seen flying purposefully over the Meadow and also within Burgess Field. Within the latter there have also been various other butterflies around including orange tips and common blues.
On the bird front there has been little to report. The floods now consist of just two largish puddles and the only birds there are black-headed gulls which are picking over the exposed mud and the occasional moorhen or mallard. A grey heron drops in occasionally for a look though it is now more likely to be seen along the river bank instead. A single lapwing has sometimes been seen though there has obviously been no success at breeding on the Meadow this year. With the number of dogs and crows about I am not in the least surprised. Down on the river there was a single young great crested grebe out with its two parents. Swallows and house martins are usually hawking over the river near the red bridge and there are always one or two pied wagtails about.
At this time of year the breeding birds are busy brooding or feeding hungry fledglings so there is not so much bird song around though the various warblers are still occasionally warbling (though I've not heard the cetti's warbler for several days now) and the other day there were two singing male skylarks. However if one goes around Burgess Field with eyes and ears open then one can find some of the various nest sites. I have seen fledgling starlings, blackcaps and great tits out and about and found nests for reed buntings, blackbirds and long-tailed tits. It's a very busy time of year for the breeding birds albeit rather quiet for finding more exotic species.
A painted lady butterfly (actually photographed on Otmoor) © Steve Burch
On the bird front there has been little to report. The floods now consist of just two largish puddles and the only birds there are black-headed gulls which are picking over the exposed mud and the occasional moorhen or mallard. A grey heron drops in occasionally for a look though it is now more likely to be seen along the river bank instead. A single lapwing has sometimes been seen though there has obviously been no success at breeding on the Meadow this year. With the number of dogs and crows about I am not in the least surprised. Down on the river there was a single young great crested grebe out with its two parents. Swallows and house martins are usually hawking over the river near the red bridge and there are always one or two pied wagtails about.
At this time of year the breeding birds are busy brooding or feeding hungry fledglings so there is not so much bird song around though the various warblers are still occasionally warbling (though I've not heard the cetti's warbler for several days now) and the other day there were two singing male skylarks. However if one goes around Burgess Field with eyes and ears open then one can find some of the various nest sites. I have seen fledgling starlings, blackcaps and great tits out and about and found nests for reed buntings, blackbirds and long-tailed tits. It's a very busy time of year for the breeding birds albeit rather quiet for finding more exotic species.
A painted lady butterfly (actually photographed on Otmoor) © Steve Burch