It's all about breeding

14th June 15          morning             mid section

partly cloudy, 12-13°c,  1013mb,   NE 11- NNE 8 mph

No not us, the breeding birds ( and animals and insects and plants ) at this time of year. Trying to work out what species we have, how many, were they are, how successful with their nests their young and counting family's can be frustratingly mind boggling.
              The mallard family with 9 chicks from the Wetlands was easy we have tracked them from fledging, to relocating to the canal and they are still around and intact. The other brood of 3 chicks have proved recently to be much more puzzling. All was straight forward until last wednesday when 2 ad ♂ & 1 ad ♀ were all that I found ( maybe their in the reedmace)( that was my thought ) but on friday, I could find only 2 of the young,(no sign of the duck). Today down to just one duckling, Did the mother try leading her family down to the canal, there was a female with 1 chick there on wednesday, or have they been predated. who knows? and that's just the highly visible ducks, when it comes to keeping tabs on the much less obliging warblers and other small passerines it gets even more difficult.

Mallard	only 1 chk Wetlands,  ♀+4 chk S of Meccano Br,  ♀+1 chk Squash Club,
Buzzard	1 over	Wetlands
Moorhen	1+3 chk (lost 1) Prefabs,  1 w/grown juv Prefab weir,  1+1 chk Meccano Br,
Stock Dove	2 >> N over	Barleyfield
Swift	few	Barleyfield
Kingfisher	1 >> N	Meccano Br
Pied Wagtail	1	Wetlands Field
Wren	10 singing	mid section
Dunnock	3 singing	Barleyfield
Robin	8 singing	mid section
Blackbird	9 singing	mid section
Song Thrush	3 singing	Barleyfield
Mistle Thrush	1+	Wetlands Field
Whitethroat	2 singing	Shrike Bushes
Blackcap	10 singing	mid section
Chiffchaff	10 singing	mid section
Long Tailed Tit	11+	Barleyfield
Chaffinch	3 singing	The Paddock