Review of the last couple of weeks

The patch is  quieter at the moment and I've had little chance to get out for any length of time due to work and the weather.
However I did a full walk last Sunday(10/06) which didn't throw up any surprises.
The lake held at least 4 singing Reed warblers, 3 Blackcaps and it was nice to hear a Garden warbler singing from the southern end.The family of Canada geese were still on the lake but have been commuting between here and the stock pond, which seems a very dangerous walk across the field but they are still all there.
An additional 3 adults were with them and another 7 flew over.
Mandarins totalled eight but are looking rather tatty in their various stages of moult.
Three species of raptor were noted with Kestrel, Sparrowhawk and Buzzard.
Around on the Shirrenden side there were ten Mistle thrush and both Little owls were sitting on fence posts around the paddock.

At home the garden feeders held three juvenile Goldfinches and a juvenile Greenfinch.
Later in the afternoon I went with Eric Philp to ring some Barn owls in a nest box and was very pleased to find it held five.

Today I had a  shortened visit just down to the lake.I found that the Little owl brood had fledged and found two of them in trees adjacent to the public footpath. The Kestrels were very active and one had left the nest leaving it's two siblings still inside.(see picture above) I also had some cracking views of an adult Hobby.
After lunch I went for a little walk with Phyllis and sat by the lake and saw what I think was a Downy Emerald Dragonfly and got a picture of a Beautiful Demoiselle

On the way home we found four recently fledged  Little owls in Sprivers. It was nice to be able to walk in the sunshine for a change.