☀️ Thursday 6th July 2017 ~ Each year around this time a family of
Common Terns appear at the marina and usually hang around for a week or two. I can only image that the fishing is pretty good, with plenty around the marina compounds and at Napton Reservoir, just a brief flight across the canal. In recent years I've managed to establish that these birds, amazingly had been ringed at Brandon Marsh.
 |
| A Brandon Marsh Common Tern |
It was no surprise therefore that after mentioning the ring configuration on one of the birds to Jim Rushforth (Brandon Ringer) it appears that once again we have a Brandon visitor. Sadly one of the rings, which should appear on the left leg and would depict the year of birth had unfortunately been shed.
 |
| A ringless youngster! |
As for the youngster, well this bird has no ring and so knowing Jim's enthusiasm for such things I can only conclude that the adults, for this year at least have nested elsewhere!
With things beginning to return to some normality after Mums funeral Dee and I decided to take our first cruise of the year, out to our favourite spot at Flecknoe! Talking of Mum, thank you so much to everyone who took time to text, whatsapp, tweet and even send cards to the marina, it's very much appreciated.
The cruise took around 90 minutes and with the temperature in the high 20's there was plenty of insects on the wing. These included no end of
Banded Demoiselle and the odd
Horse-fly!! A nice selection of butterflies included
Meadow Brown, Small,
Large and
Green-veined White. As I was coming under the road bridge at the A425 a
Red Kite drifted north and I suspect the same bird was seen later in the day over our mooring.
 |
| Yellowhammer ~ A constant companion at the current mooring! |
The usual farmland birds were encountered and included
Linnet,
Skylark,
Yellowhammer,
Red-legged Partridge and more
Greenfinch than I recall.
