Doleham
Dock leaf
A pair of Spotted Flycatchers (pitifully, my first for the year) was flitting about the upper branches of oaks alongside the railway line. last year’s thinning of trackside trees left enough of them to screen the railway (while permitting passengers tantalising views of the beautiful Brede Valley) and continue to harbour woodland species such as GS Woodpecker, Goldcrest, Nuthatch and Treecreeper all of which were today feeding young. Tawny Owls are still there in the ivy, but Turtle Doves seem not to have returned this year, reflecting the depressing national picture. Another threatened species - Cuckoo - was around however, scouring the reeds for Reed Warbler nests.
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