Spots before my Eyes.

The returning Kingston Lisle Spotted Flycatchers are showing interest in one of the garden nest boxes  and the discovery of a Spotted Flycatcher hawking insects from the top of a MayBush at orchard house in Stanford in the vale as I sipped coffee in the kitchen was most uplifting. There are a pair of swifts nesting in the roof space of this house and often a swift flyover of eight.
the Feather.

 Green Veined Butterfly

 Young Goldfinch in reflective mood at this puddle

Young Carrion Crow on lookout at the crows nest

Spotted.

The Spotted Flycatchers returned to  the Kingston Lisle garden of my niece Linda and her husband John in early May this year , they don't usually arrive until later in the month. They have a most interesting garden that attracts a really good variety of birds due in part to it being situated alongside a copse of mature trees and shrubby undergrowth. They are able to enjoy species such as Goldcrest and Nuthatch with of course the annually returning pair of Spotted Flycatchers being the jewel in the birding crown. Saw my first small blue butterflies flitting merrily about today (Tuesday).

Not Singing in the Rain.

The recent weather has been very changeable with sunny days and very wet conditions and invariably a strong wind blowing resulting in many butterflies not yet showing and the birds unable to find insects, one hopes this has not been too disastrous for the young in nest as insects are as you know such a valuable source of protein for chicks.
the oxon feather.
 Corn Bunting singing atop of the blowing stone hill.

Yellowhammer getting soaked.

 Buzzard also getting a soaking

Greenfinch the garden

Look Out, Look Out theres a dangerous Footpath about !

I am pleased for warnings of dangerous dogs or bulls but I have never personally been attacked by a footpath.
the oxon feather.

Dingy Skipper I think.

This Stonechat looks like it is on breeding territory

Blue Bonced Yellow Wagtail.

A few more photos of the Yellow Wagtail with the blueish head and a rather confiding Skylark.
The Oxon Feather.

Quicker than Fast - Swift.

The Stanford in the Vale Swifts returned to the village on the 4th of May this year and what a welcome sight and screeching sound they are. I heard the Cuckoo today close to the ridgeway and not too far from white horse hill and there were good numbers of yellowhammers about , although I had to travel back down the vale about a mile from childrey to find assorted warblers including chiffchaff, willow warbler and blackcap.
the oxon feather.

Male Blackcap

Female Blackcap

Scrawny Roe

Singing Yellowhammer and young Stock Dove

High in the Sky is a Bird on the Wing!

A blue but happy day today with good views of four Yellow Wagtails and several Skylark performing as only the Skylark can when he proclaims his territory. This particular territory was not far from Dix Pit. I had previously taken great delight on watching my first Holly Blue butterflies flitting around a beech hedge in my Stanford in the Vale garden they were enjoying the spring sunshine, and so was I.
The Oxon Feather.