Low cloud cover and a bit of drizzle greeted us on the way out this morning. We have had a mild and wettish May and June has started in similar fashion. The swifts are keeping low, feeding on the flying ants which seem to be everywhere.Luckily we have a house Gecko which keeps the insects in check.

Through the tunnel and already I’d seen two pairs of Spotted Flycatchers. I felt the wing beats as one came swooping in to see what Billy and I where up to. Further up the hill I came across a squirrel being given what’s for by a different bird. At least squirrels deserve it, as they are known nest robbers. I don’t know what we were doing to upset them though.

A trio of Spotted Flycatchers

The Sun was out this afternoon and you could feel the earth giving up some of the moisture it has been soaking up recently, by way of evaporation. I actually managed to remember to take a charged battery for the camera this time. The squirrels where playing ball…

…and the tits where extremely busy gathering food…

Crested Tits are the most numerous species on the hill, but this Blue Tit was the only one which wasn’t up in the canopy today. We have Great, Coal, Long-tailed, Blue and Crested Tits as residents here and I will endeavour to get a snap of each. One of the Ravens flew past with a Yellow-legged Gull in close pursuit. A Sardinian Warbler was chattering away and didn’t seem to notice me at all. Not the greatest photo ever but the red eye ring is striking…

Billy was happily studying the squirrels as I was snapping away. A Serin was singing (can you call the sound of an un-oiled bicycle chain a song?)

I have bought a bike trailer for Billy, so it won’t be long that the two of us start going beyond our regular well trodden paths for our walks.

Here’s Billy