Since I didn’t get out and about today I was delighted when wildlife came to me and allowed me to use the word onomatopoeia!
I was working in my upstairs office this morning when I heard a chiffchaff in the back garden. As with several birds (perhaps the most obvious being the cuckoo) the name of this species derives directly from the sound it makes. If you don’t know them they are a small greenish brown warbler with few distinguishing marks, and almost impossible to tell apart from the willow warbler apart from by their completely different calls.
This one pottered around in the beech hedge between ours and the next garden and I was even able to lean out of the window and get a couple of photos.
Brenda writes: “As March draws to a close, last night was the first time I had a decent number of moths in the trap. Up to now it really has only been a handful. There was nothing new but it was nice to see six each of Hebrew character and common quaker, five each of small quaker and clouded drab (including two very dark ones), two march moths and two early greys. That’s more like it!”
No new species for March 31st:
TOTALS TO DATE:
Birds = 151
Moths = 14
Wildflowers = 37