More flapping

After a hard day toiling over a hot and somewhat ineffectual computer at work I was easily persuaded to head over to Thursley common this evening (the only one forecast to be sunny this week). It turned out to be a very good call as we had the place pretty much to ourselves aside from a couple of dog walkers and two photographers lugging 500 mm lenses back towards the car park. Both reported little of interest wildlife-wise except for some juvenile Dartford warblers and a spattering of dragonflies.

We had quite long chat with the second photographer who thinks Colin the cuckoo has returned to Africa now, or is at least en route. He saw Colin last year as well as this year and told us about a couple of distinguishing marks which helped him be sure it was the same cuckoo both years. This year Colin arrived in mid-March, apparently, which is earlier than I ever hear them over Chapel common by at least a month. It really is amazing to think that a bird can fly so far and find its way back to the exact same field every year. We popped up to the field and it was very strange and rather sad to see it quiet and empty, with no photographers and no perches. However, as cuckoos can live for six or seven years I am optimistic that we'll see Colin again next year. Until then I'll have to make do with other feathered friends.

As well as mallards, we saw a stonechat, some dragonflies, an emperor moth caterpillar and one of Richard Branson's hot air balloons. No cuckoos and no hobbies but it was a beautiful evening for a walk and we had a lovely spell sitting cross-legged on the boardwalk taking it all in.