A day spent meandering around locally generating breeding confirmations, or improving on existing categories, for the BTO Atlas. A reported Short-eared Owl, which would have been new for the immediate area,couldn't be re-located and was maybe an early moving bird anyway.
Feeding parties of young birds are almost like children anywhere at the moment with some remarkable "friendships" being in evidence. Watching some young, pale Goldfinch feeding in low vegetation I was surprised to see a couple of young Willow Warblers emerge, a Northern Wheatear, two Meadow Pipits and , then, a Skylark, which tried hard to perch on a swaying bracken frond several times!!! All appeared to be moving around the site in unison in a joyful scatter of movement and colour. Both male and female Hen Harrier quartering much used feeding areas suggested they still may have dependent youngsters. Hooded Crows have clearly bred very locally with pristine youngsters hanging around in a group, whose menace wouldn't have looked out of place in a shopping mall!!
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