This is the central plain at Oakgrove, the dusty brown colour of the grass indicating how dry it is there now. Still, I doubt there's a greater concentration of breeding Skylarks anywhere in MK, and a few pairs of Mipit breed too.
Here's the extensive hedge which borders almost the whole west side of Oakgrove. You can see the thin sliver of reedbeds in front of the trees. The ponds are tiny and very shallow, but do seem to retain water for most of the year. Behind the trees lies a mature hedgeline of hawthorn , blackthorn and hazel. This is classic edge habitat, and where I saw virtually all the birds on Sunday. Surely those trees are good for a Redstart in spring or autumn?
The tiny damp patch in the foreground is pretty much all that's left of the squelchy, sedgy, puddle-y habitat that once held up to 50 wintering Snipe, and 2 or 3 Jackers. Sigh......happy days!
And here's a crappy shot of a Long-tailed Tit. Such are my photographic skills, even this represents an achievement! But every journey needs a first footstep (or some such facile guff).
The plain looks like a bit of a desert! Looks good for vis-mig though?
ReplyDeleteIt is a fly through between Caldecotte and Willen - I have seen Goosander over it before as well as Golden Plover etc - time to put the hours in Rob !
ReplyDeleteIt's next to the river Ouzel too, so plenty of potential as a local highway. Look forward to seeing the flyover waders that have departed Willen in disgust at the lack of habitat there...
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ReplyDeleteI reckon a Sunday morning stake out is a good idea , once the boats have gone out on willen you might get some southerly drift onto Caldecotte ?
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