Middleton Lakes. RSPB Nature Reserve.

Another trip to Middleton Lakes, on what turned out to be a gloriously sunny day. Straight to the highlights of the day, first was seeing my first ever Skylark, hovering and singing above me, it was actually the singing that diverted my attention to it, what a great song it has and if that wasn't good enough I saw a pair a few moments later, which had a hover and sing together before promptly disappearing onto the ground in one of the farmers fields, hopefully they are a pair which will successfully breed this year, because it's another of one of our countryside birds which have suffered a dramatic decline in numbers mainly due to modern farming practices. Another highlight was seeing the very sociable Robin again on the way up to and coming back from the lakes, he was eating out of my hand again, he was gratefully accepting some dried mealworms, one of which he'd take to another Robin (presumably the female) on the river bank and he'd have the next one himself, he also had some bird seed left on one of the hand rails, along with numerous Blue Tits, Great Tits, Chaffinches and other more timid Robins. Another highlight was seeing a very sociable Pheasant Hen, which was also loving some bird seed, she was flanked by a Pheasant Cock but he wasn't quite as adventurous as the female. There was also a great flock of approximately thirty Mealy Redpoll foraging on the floor  while in the air was an impressive flock of two hundred plus Woodpigeon. The Grey Heron are still busy making their nests, there must be at least thirty now, with some juveniles already born but obviously haven't left the nest yet. Birds spotted today were, Skylark, Mealy Redpoll, Treecreeper, Blackcap (male) Reed Bunting, Chiffchaff, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Long Tailed Tit, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Chaffinch, Dunnock, Robin, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Redwing, Pheasant (Hen and Cock), Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Magpie, Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Kestrel, Buzzard, Grey Heron, Mute Swan, Lapwing, Shoveler, Wigeon, Gadwall, Common Sandpiper, Great Crested Grebe, Moorhen, Coot, Tufted Duck, Mallard, Greylag Goose, Canada Goose and Cormorant. My House Sparrow colony in the garden are still nest building with plant material from the garden, which is great, the more House Sparrow chicks the better I say, along with the blackbirds who are also doing the same. It's sad to see from the RSPB Big Garden Watch results, that even though the Starling has hung onto second place it has suffered a bigger decline than last year, they weren't always that welcome to my garden but I've come to love them over the years, how can you not like such a stunning if not a bit of a bully boy bird, it's a shame we've forced them out of the countryside and now a lot of them are reduced to running around our shopping centres scratting about for discarded Greggs pasties, oh that's it now I've mentioned pasties. The Fudgers has escaped yet another visit to the vets, her third visit in five months, this time she's got laryngitis and alopeciao on both ears, they don't why the alpoceia keeps reappearing, it seems to come and go but thankfully she's alright at the moment after having to endure yet another two injections.