A day off...

A day off yet I still managed to visit a Trust nature reserve to see what was around.  As I left the house the sun was shining and the afternoon looked great, but as I arrived at Bateswood the cloud descended and combined with the wind, didn't make for a stunning afternoon.

There are certainly no shortage of willow warblers singing around the reserve, with a male heard around every corner.  Not to be out done several blackcap and chiffchaff were also present, as was a skylark singing away above the plateau.

Find out more about Bateswood here - www.staffs-wildlife.org.uk/reserves/bateswood

Heading home I dropped in at a breeding lapwing site near Stafford to check on progress.  When I called a month or so ago the birds were displaying and bickering in a couple of arable fields.  Now these crops have already grown too tall and most of the birds have moved down the hill to a patch of wet grassland.  Thankfully all the birds appear to still be present.

Also still present was a common sandpiper on the river nearby.