BBS and Atlas Surveys, and Odonata

Saturday 24th May 2008

In mainly sunny conditions but with a stiff north-easterly breeze, I carried out two surveys this morning, starting with a Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) in grid square SO7713 in Hardwicke. 32 Species were encountered along the two 1km transects, these were:

Mallard 1
Common Buzzard 2
Common Kestrel 1
Pheasant 2
Moorhen 2
Herring Gull 30
Woodpigeon 6
Collared Dove 5
Cuckoo 1
Swallow 6
Wren 9
Dunnock 5
Robin 2
Blackbird 9
Song Thrush 4
Lesser Whitethroat 2
Whitethroat 13
Blackcap 1
Chiffchaff 3
Long-tailed Tit 2
Blue Tit 3
Great Tit 1
Magpie 3
Jackdaw 3
Carrion Crow 14
Raven 1
House Sparrow 4
Chaffinch 11
Greenfinch 2
Linnet 3
Yellowhammer 2

It was nice seeing the Cuckoo back again at Hockley Hill and picking it up within the survey, and there were good numbers of Whitethroat. I then went on to Brockworth to carry out my third and final early breeding season visit for the BTO Atlas survey in SO81Y. The following birds were seen or heard here:

Stock Dove 6
Woodpigeon 15
Collared Dove 1 S
Swift 2
Skylark 3
Wren 18
Dunnock 5
Robin 19
Blackbird 22
Blackcap 1
Whitethroat 2
Chiffchaff 4
Goldcrest 1
Blue Tit 10
Great Tit 2
Magpie 8
Jackdaw 3
Rook 1
Carrion Crow 4
Starling 8
House Sparrow 23
Chaffinch 10
Greenfinch 3
Goldfinch 6

The highlight though was a Beautiful Demoiselle near the Horsebere Brook (top photo), and a trip to the National Trust's Croome Park, in Worcesterhire, in the afternoon produced more Odonata in the form of a lovely male Red-eyed Damselfy (below).

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