The Bird Blog - June 2024

June has come and gone, and we are already at the start of July.

Despite the very early start several people turned up to the Dawn chorus walks held on the last Saturday in May and the first Saturday in June. A good variety of woodland birds were heard and on one occasion there was a brief glimpse of a Badger returning home from it's nocturnal wanderings.

One of the volunteers at the arboretum, who is a sound recordist by profession, kindly brought his equipment with him which enhanced everyone's enjoyment of the bird song. The recording of the dawn chorus that was made can be played below.

There has been great activity on both ponds, with sightings of two female Mallard Duck and at one point 16 ducklings. However, sightings have gradually become less frequent and when last seen there was just the one adult female with six ducklings.

On a positive note, a pair of Moorhen managed to hatch one egg and when last seen towards the end of June both adult birds and their offspring were all doing well.

Several Blackcap, Wren, Greenfinch and Chiffchaff remain in full voice but sightings of Swifts, Swallows and House Martin in the sky over the arboretum have not materialised as hoped for.

Finally, for those of you interested in bird migration, the Cuckoo that returned in April from the Congo rainforest to the United Kingdom and Eire to breed, have now started their journey back to Africa. A number of the birds are already in France. You can catch up with the Cuckoo's journey back to the Congo at the British Trust for Ornithology website.

Phil Taylor