Subdued!

Willow Warbler Geoff Gradwell

A pretty decent spring day yesterday had me through Holme Wood and down the Grizedale Valley to find - or more to the point to hear in most cases - 9 Willow Warbler, 9 Chiffchaff, a singing male Blackcap, 4 Wren, 3 Nuthatch, 2 Coal Tit, a Treecreeper, and a Reed Bunting, all noted amongst a few other common woodland bird species.

Buzzard. Martin Lofgren @ Wild Bird Gallery  

On Harrisend I had 6 Buzzard sightings though some duplication risk here, but saw at least four individuals. I saw 3 Willow Warbler, a Kestrel, and was amazed at seeing only 2 Meadow Pipit this visit. 

Stonechat. Noushka Dufort @ 1000-Pattes 

Two and a half hours on Harrisend produced a female Stonechat with no sign of a male in the same area I found the pair on 18 March. So, despite my receiving regular sightings of Stonechat from birders near - in our recording area - and far, they still show no sign of making any notable comeback to a few upland locations on my books, and in the case of Harrisend, just the pair this year according to my observations, and none found on Hawthornthwaite 18 March though a revisit here is overdue. 

I'm bound to call yesterday's birding experience....subdued.

Thanks to Geoff/Martin/Noushka for the excellent images which are much appreciated and help to liven up the post no end.