Dawn Chorus walk

Got up early (though not quite at dawn - more like 5.30 am) to join a dawn chorus walk run by my local environmental group. There was a small group of us for the walk and the birds were already in full song by the time we set off. We almost saw a barn owl and heard/saw robins, wrens, chiff chaffs, red kites, jackdaws, a cuckoo, garden warblers, whitethroats, great tits, blackbirds and blackcaps. The highlight was finding two nightingales in different parts of the lakes. The song was amazingly loud and despite having three sets of binoculars trained on the nearby trees, we still didn't manage to spot either of the birds. Quite a special morning. 

The lakes had more birds - gadwall, terns, gulls, egyptian geese, tufted ducks and a lapwing. One of the terns was trying to swallow a huge fish brought to it by its mate. The picture is one of the views from the hides. 

Home back in time to go to the gym and do my usual class. Finished off the lawn edging in the afternoon though we were a metre or so short so we still need to complete the job. The plants I've moved seem to be OK so all I need to do now is get another packet of the annual seed from the council - it is being planted on local verges after a very successful trial last year. One of the photos of the verges in flower even won a competition -Greening the city- if my small bed looks anything like this, I'll be really pleased.