"Spikey Head" and the First Early Purples now starting to show...

(Please click over photos to enlarge)
0545hrs-0700hrs: Its Monday again and where are these days going - so fast! Well it had blown a terrible wind yesterday, one of those winds which has produced problems. Certainly done some structural damage up and down as I have already witnessed. But its played havoc with the freshly blooming cherry and apple blossoms, with lots of the flower crop blown off and lying in the roadside gutters, along with branches, twigs scattered everywhere along the country lanes etc.

Chiffchaffs singing this morning were: Vicar, Lee and Storm.

0900hrs-1100hrs: Walk from Plain Quarry to Trig and back.
Both Dalton Chiffs at Plain Quarry where singing both Craig and Craggy, with Craggy singing from way back on the Crag House side (East), never seen so far back before. Also Craig is calling slightly different tones instead of the regular Chiff Chaff, its more a "Tif Tu" sort of call.

I thought whilst at the car park I had a Redstart calling, with the "houwit" followed bya few quietish ticks, but on checking it turned out to be a Willow Warbler/Chiffchaff. Unless of course there was a Redstart somewhere behind the little Warbler!

The Tree Pipits are doing OK, and I am sure the Cuckoo will be appreciating that!
I had the usual pairs at Crag House side (East) also on entering upper Dalton (deforested)a pair immediately to the left (sort of between where the charcoal burners where and the clump of trees at the start on the left side), then a further pair at the "line of trees" on the first bend, then a further pair midway where again the track bends to the left and in the trees there, also a further pair is near the Shrike tree and above.

Cuckoo this morning calling from its normal area across the top, just before the Common starts.

Took a photo of a tree stump full of "Cladonia Lichen" (see photo left, click over to enlarge), which at first I christened "Spikey Head", then I thought of it has a "spikey mushroom perhaps". Also this morning near the Trig I had my first flowering Early Purple Orchid (see photo, and click over photo to enlarge). If you would like to see more of the "Spikey Head" photos, please click here and then select your photo and then move curser to top left corner of photo and then click on zoom for supersize.

Called off on way back at Copse, just after Nineteen Trees, just before you go into Dalton Hamlet and here had about three Blackcaps singing and sure also I had a Garden Warbler, but sadly never got chance to see this one. (Photo within copse is the header here, please click to enlarge)