Churnet Valley Wildlife : Resident breeder and summer breeders arriving in the Churnet Valley

We have already had reports of baby Tawny Owls and a recently fledged Grey Heron in the Churnet Valley. No doubt there are other young birds about - this week I have seen a parent Mistle Thrush taking a bill full of worms to its nestlings by Rudyard Lake and the Starlings that are nesting in my garden are taking food in to their nests. Though the Jackdaws that are determinedly building a nest in my neighbor's chimney are still taking nesting material down the hole. I say "determinedly" because this pair of birds have managed to pull away some of the wire cover that is meant to stop them building in there. In fact for two days one of the birds seemed to be stuck inside the chimney, unable to squeeze out of the cage that it must have squeezed in to. Meanwhile its mate waited patiently for it to escape.

While nestlings and fledglings of our resident birds are starting to appear, so are our summer migrant breeders. So far Swallows, Chiffchaffs, Willow Warblers, Wheatear, Blackcap and Sand Martins have been reported.

Here is a full list of what has been reported to me so far this year. And thanks very much to those who keep on sending in all your records.

And, here are some photos of the determined Jackdaws, and below that some photos of birds that can be seen in the Churnet Valley this month.