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Gone (Well Almost)

Suddenly the large flocks of starlings have ceased to visit. The occasional singleton is turning up on the feeder but the same fat bar has been on the feeder for nearly three days and still isn't quite finished. The blackbirds are seem to be feeding chicks, the adults are paying regular visits to the starling feeder and leaving with well laden beaks.

Today a female great spotted woodpecker has been turning up. I broke off typing this to watch her take a beakful away so there must be a chick nearby. She did seem very nervous, often landing on the fence near the feeder, looking around and flying off again.

Earlier  this week I took a trip to Gloucestershire and visited the Highnam Woods RSPB reserve. This is noted for nightingales but as I was there at noon that was one species that I didn't hear. Close to the A40 the daytime traffic noise is very intrusive but once you are away from the road the amount of bird song was striking as were the magnificent displays of wild flowers along the rides. Woods at this time of year make for difficult birding and I didn't really have time to wait for long periods in the hide. On curious sight was a dead mole laying in the middle of one of the rides while I did disturb a deer which crashed through the undergrowth without being seen. I am guessing at a muntjac as one started barking immediately afterwards.

 I followed this up with a visit to the Forest of Dean for another look at the beaver enclosure. There are lots of signs of activity as shown above although I couldn't see any dam sites on visible portions of the river. While the beavers stayed resolutely invisibleI was very lucky to have a common lizard cross my path.











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