A good time to see Bird Activity !

We would all agree that seeing wildlife in its natural environment can be an up-lifting moment for some and for others a chance to tick off an animal / bird on their list of things to encounter in life but for many it is just being in “the moment”, so to speak, that beings the greatest pleasure to someone when they come across something unexpected. For myself it is seeing a Kingfisher dropping down into the water and coming back up with a small fish in its bill whilst a Kestrel hovering above a field brings a smile to my face as does seeing a young Fawn suckle from its mother amongst a herd of Deer.

This time of year the nature reserve is alive with newly hatched birds not yet fledged from their nest sites and with some of the nest boxes that the Friends of Dagnam Park have put up around the reserve it is easy to spot which ones are occupied by the near constant activity of the adult birds as they fly to and frow from the boxes taking insects in to feed their young. Others are more harder to spot, but with a bit of patience and observation of your surroundings often leads to finding natural nest sites that are being used. The location call of the juvenile Woodpecker as it is calling out for its parents to bring more food to them is one bird call to listen out for, a fast-chattering call that can lead you to the base of a tree, where, if you are lucky enough, you will be able to watch an adult bird feed its young insects that it has collected as it pokes its head out of the entrance hole of the nest high up in the tree. Make the most of this time of year as the juveniles will soon be fledging the nest and a quietness descends around the nesting sites not to be repeated again until next year when, if you are lucky, something else can be ticked off your list of things to see.