Plantsbrook Nature Reserve.

I decided to go to Plantsbrook today to see if the Mute Swan Cygnets have arrived yet and indeed they have with six fit and healthy Cygnets present and correct in fact they made their presence immediately as I'd arrived at the pool the nest was on, let's hope they make it to adulthood unlike the last two years when only two have made it into the new year.

Other than that the main highlight was seeing plenty of  Blackcap juveniles amongst trees and shrubs overhanging the water, judging by the number of juveniles which numbered in double figures there must have been two families present, there was also a flock of juvenile Blue and Great Tits in the same area.

Birds seen today were Blackcap, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Robin, Wren, Starling, Great Spotted Woopdecker, Blackbird, Woodpigeon, Magpie, Mute Swan, Great Crested Grebe, Moorhen, Coot, Tufted Duck, Mallard, Canada Goose as well as the following juveniles, Blackcap, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Robin, Magpie, Cygnet, Great Crested Grebe, Moorhen and Coot.

Unfortunately there was also the remains of a Canada Goose on one of the paths, going by the way the poor bird had been dragged around and the fact there were feathers were everywhere at least it was probably a Fox kill and not done by humans, that sadly was not the first kill I saw of the day because when I went into the back garden to replenish the bird feeders and top the bird baths with clean water etc. there was the remains of a poor House Sparrow, yet again going on the way the feathers were strewn about the lawn it was a Sparrowhawk kill and not a cat, I always hate to see the loss of even one House Sparrow especially if it is a juvenile.

Getting back to Plantsbrook the main piece of grass has been left uncut for the second year running which has let the Birds Foot Trefoil, Wild Blue Geranium and Cow Parsley flourish, which is great for all the birds and butterflies etc, it was especially nice to see the Birds Foot Trefoil which is not a wildflower you see a lot of and there was a lot of it here with maybe thousands of flowers present.