Saturday 21 April 2012

First Garden Warbler has now arrived at Dalton.

0820hrs-1000hrs. Plain Quarry, Dalton to Trig and return.
First Garden Warbler returned and singing away continuously. I would expect at least a further 6 or 7 will come in over the next few days. The Tree Pipits singing in the Crag House side of Dalton Crags. Also a pair singing at the bottom of Dalton (upper/deforested) and another couple present midway up. Probably also a pair at the top. 4 Northern Wheatear again present, these may well be the birds which where present yesterday, because they were very close (within 50 yards)of where they were yesterday. But I have to say that one of the birds stood out very much to be very dusky in plumage, and certainly did not hold the usual magnificence of colour as you would expect in this species. If they were the same birds as yesterday I spent enough time checking them out and would have thought I would have picked up on this particular bird. So this is making me wonder whether they are new birds or had I missed "the dusky one" yesterday.

Whilst stood motionless as you do when your trying to check out the Wheatear. Knowing they just cannot resist checking you out! and its a game of patience but usually reveals how many are about..., but by a stroke of luck two Skylarks came plummeting down, after chasing one another around, and within about 20 yards of me oblivious to my presence and one of the birds started displaying. Its head crest feathers seemed super erect, and its head started bobbing up and down, similar to what you might see in a Common Sandpiper, and alternatively it also start bobbing and dipping its rear end. Something I've never been fortunate to see before.