Fun Patching! (24th June)

Local patching is usually a tedious process in Kings Langley with generally far fewer good birds about compared to my patch down in Cornwall but once in a while the commoner species put on a good show for me.

Today's prize goes to the 20+ Swallows which I enjoyed photographing and watching for at least an hour!

Swallow

A single House Martin and half a dozen Swifts also moved through when suddenly a big racket escalated as the Swallows rose upwards and sure enough a Hobby shot into the camera viewfinder!  This was a rather pleasing sight as this represents my first returning bird of the year for the KL patch!

Hobby mobbed by Swallows

To boost the day a little more, I also located a singing Lesser Whitethroat rattling away in the hedge near Langley Lodge, 1+ Red Kite was also in the area and 3 Buzzards.  Good/Bad news was my first record of a calling Ring-necked Parakeet north of Berrybushes Wood.  Who knows, they may well become a regular feature on patch in the years to come.  Inverts of note included a Small White and a Silver-ground Carpet.