Continuing heat waves with occasional thunder and heavy rain leaves the birds confused – either gasping for breath or saturated.
While the lake (not a pond) is the centre point for Spring with Egyptian Geese Goslings and the Cygnets plus Reed Warblers.
In the woodlands there are plenty of smaller birds, Great Spotted and Green Woodpeckers, Jays, Robins, Blue and Great Tits, Nuthatch and Wren mostly located by their sounds.
Walking through the woods one evening there were dozens of hoverflies – zig-zagging about and extremely difficult to photograph with their fast wing beats and erratic movement but fortunately there was a patch of sunlight across a tree and I managed a few images. Later I saw a Hornet Mimic Hoverfly.
Less commented upon are the magnificent variety of trees, London Plane Tree at the bridge and Redwood on the lawn and the Caucasian Wingnut Tree at the far end of the lake - which supported a Moorhen nest- is a huge and magnificent tree with dangling blossom similar in colour to Laburnum.
There are other old specimen trees Indian Bean Tree and Beech but this month I have been struck by the majesty of the English Oaks some of which have so many acorns on them that the branches are almost touching the ground. Several of them have Bat Boxes on them which are in need of repair.
