Wind and hail

The Fieldfare was still on the Parade Ground, despite a horrible day of wind and rain and hail.

It's very wary and always stays at a distance and under a tree so it can shoot into cover at the slightest disturbance.

There was no sign of Redwings here, but a small flock been reported still in Kensington Gardens. It seems surprising that they haven't come over to this excellent place for finding worms, as they have in past years.

The young Grey Heron came up from its usual station by the Dell stream ...

... to the Parade Ground and wandered around looking puzzled and out of place. Heaven knows what it expected to find here, but young birds are always curious.

There was a crowd of Great and Blue Tits waiting in a clump of dead Michaelmas daisies in the Rose Garden.

A Blue Tit ate a pine nut ...

... and a Coal Tit waited on a twig.

The patch of cleared ground in the woodland below the Buck Hill shelter had the usual Dunnock ...

... and a Wren looking for insects and larvae.

The female Chaffinch in the Flower Walk perched among catkins in the corkscrew hazel bush ...

...and so did a Robin.

Several Jays were waiting near the Italian Garden. One perched on the peculiar ridged bark of a winged elm.

A pair of Long-Tailed Tits jumped around in the trees by the Henry Moore sculpture.

The pair of herons were together again in the nest at the west end of the island.

No doubt these in the middle of the island are also a pair, with one sitting in the top nest and the other below it guarding the territory. There are four heron nests in this tree, so other birds have to be kept from taking them and there are often indignant squawks at intruders.

With nothing much happening today, here's a video from a brighter day.  A young Cormorants dries its wings under the Italian Garden.

Sean Gillespie visited Wallasea Island, where there is a new nature reserve still not completely set up. He was looking for Short-Eared Owls and Barn Owls, which didn't turn up, but there were plenty of Kestrels.