Whitecross Green Wood (SSSI) & Asham Meads (Murcott Meadows SSSI) - 16:10 to 18:15

I finished work just before 16:00 today to take a walk through Whitecross Green Wood (SSSI) and then onto Asham Meads (Murcott Meadows SSSI). The temperature was around 14°/13°C; so, mild with sunny spells. The following were of note.

Birds:

• Buzzard (Buteo buteo); 1 calling Asham Meads.

• Whitethroat (Sylvia communis); 1 calling Asham Meads.

• Chiffchaffs (Phylloscopus collybita); in full song in all wooded areas.

• Willow warblers (Phylloscopus trochilus); in full song in all wooded areas. In fact, they seemed more frequent than the Chiffchaffs.

• Linnet (Carduelis cannabina); 1 Asham Meads.

• Yellow wagtail (Motacilla flava); 1 seen along track between Wood and Meads.

• Long-tailed tit (Aegithalos caudatus); 1 obviously feeding young Asham Meads.

• A pair of Curlew (Numenius arquata) feeding in the Upper Marsh field at Asham Meads.

• Numbers of Swifts (Apus apus) hawking over the RSPB land east of the Meads. My first of the year.

• Swallow (Hirundo rustica); 1 over Asham Meads.

Flora:

• My second orchid of the year! Many flowering spikes of Green-Winged Orchid (Orchis morio) scattered over the fields of Asham Meads.

Butterflies:

• Orange-tip (Anthocharis cardamines); 4 at Asham Meads.

• Small White (Pieris rapae); 1 at Asham Meads.

Mammals:

• Brown hare (Lepus europaeus); 2 Asham Meads

• Muntjac (Muntiacus reevesi); 1 southern edge of Whitecross Green Wood.