John's Wildlife Wanderings: The Lockdown

After 3 weeks of lockdown, we were told it was to be extended by a further 3 weeks, as the virus marched on towards it's peak - taking us towards the beginning of May.

I'd kind of got used to my new routine of working from home and getting out for my one walk each day. The fact that spring migration was happening helped a lot and keeping an eye out for migrants on my walks and from the garden was keeping me going nicely. That and the prolonged spell of warm and sunny weather.

I also had a week's holiday, which was originally planned for a break in northern France. No France of course, but a welcome break all the same!

I found Wheatears in various places on my walks out of town, including a showy group of 3 presumed Greenland race birds on 16/04.

Other highights included a brief flyover Tree Pipit, a couple of fly-by Curlews and several more Yellow Wagtails. There was a marked increase in Warblers, with the hedgerows groaning with singing Whitethroats in particular, plus smaller numbers of Lesser Whitethroats and the odd Garden Warbler too. The really good bit of reedy, marsh habitat, or 'the pocket park' adjacent to the park in Brackley, continued to hold Cetti's Warbler as well as a couple of migrant Sedge and a single Reed Warbler too. The latter was in fact ringed, but was particularly skulky!

I managed to add two garden ticks with a surprise Sand Martin over on the morning of 21/04 and a pair of Greylag Geese over on the evening of 24/04. Other flyovers included a couple of Hobby and interestingly, several Peregrine sightings too. Yellow Wags went over on a few occasions and the anticipated return of our local Swifts came on a very hot 25th April - quite an early date for here.

I did unfortunately miss a brief White Stork over town, seen by a fellow Northants birder while he was visiting Brackley on work duties. A bit galling that one, particularly as it was seen a couple of streets away while I was in my conservatory working! If I'd just happened to look over my right shoulder at the right moment, I'd have probably seen it! Hopefully though it was plastic, from the Sussex re-introduction scheme and not purely wild!

I also began to venture out on Em's bike (mine is knackered!). This allowed me to get over to nearby Whistley Wood, to catch the last of the bluebells, as well as the first returning Spotted Flycatchers. I was chuffed to find a Cuckoo in there too - they are never guaranteed locally and like the Spot Flys, are generally only in the larger woods.