Spring Moss

The Chiffchaffs arrived this week in the woodland behind my office at Myerscough College. There were none on Monday (22nd), but as soon as I got out of my car yesterday morning and today I could hear a 'Chiffie' singing from the woodland. It was quite pleasant to sit at my desk with the window open and listen to the song.

I made my weekly trip to Rawcliffe Moss this afternoon to drop some seed off in one of the feeding bins. I parked up at the track and had a walk up the '97' hedge, across the top fields, round the plantation and back to my car past Curlew Wood. Rewinding to when I first arrived this afternoon I had fifteen Corn Buntings in the hedge as I approached the barn and then I had another eight near the Tree Sparrow boxes, with a further three singing birds scattered around.


A Yellowhammer flew away from the tailing's calling and several Skylarks sang overhead as I walked round. Lapwings were displaying in all the pasture and stubble fields and I had two pairs of Grey Partridge. In the 'top' fields I had quite a large flock of Meadow Pipits for the moss that numbered 176, presumably grounded migrants that will be on their way tomorrow morning.

It was all calling birds in the plantation with Chaffinch, Reed Bunting, Long-tailed Tit and Redwing being heard and not seen. Back along the lane past Curlew Wood I had ten Tree Sparrows and fifteen Goldfinches in the hedgerows, and a Tawny Owl called from the woodland.