Not Doñana!!

We're back in the UK for a week or so and back in SJ92B, our adopted tetrad for the BTO Atlas project (see post for 13th January 2009). This morning's two-hour Timed Tetrad Visit confirmed our previous view that this is not the most exciting or productive birding area but we had a pleasant enough walk recording a total of just 36 species in the process. To be fair, although the number of species was low we did see a reasonable number of birds and making accurate counts of some of the common and more mobile species wasn't easy. At times there seemed to be Wood Pigeons and Blackbirds flying in all directions!

It's still very early in the season and we would have preferred to postpone this visit until a few more migrants have arrived. Unfortunately, other commitments prevent that. As it was, the only summer visitors we found were Willow Warblers, Chiffchaffs and a single Blackcap. Maybe some of them had spent the winter in the Algarve or at least passed through on their way to or from Africa. It would be nice to think so!

As usual, we took a few photographs:

Yellowhammer - at least two pairs present

A corner of Doxey Marshes Nature Reserve

Mute Swan - at least one pair look as though they're going to nest in the tetrad

Stafford Castle or what remains of it! Nesting habitat for Feral Pigeons

Stafford Castle Golf Course - a habitat shared with the Algarve!