Afternoon delight

A potter around the local lanes this afternoon turned out to be productive. Five wheatears in ploughed  fields along Mere Lane followed by 77 white wagtails, 10 pied wagtails, a yellow wagtail and another wheatear along Cross Meanygate. Blackcap, chiffchaff and nuthatch singing in the small copses provided a truly spring like soundtrack.

                                             Female wheatear

An initial visit to Lathom farm (on Meadow Lane) produced a copulating pair of oystercatchers, grey partridges and a singing yellowhammer, a singing blackcap and sand martin over. A look further up Meadow Lane produced seven wheatears, two hunting barn owls, a pair of ravens and a pair of curlews.

                                                    Barn owl
On the way home another quick look over Lathom farm from the Eller Brook bridge revealed eight wheatears on the field immediately to the south.