The Green Woodpecker seen at last within the Cemetery

Monday 8th May 2023.

It is looking very lush and green in the Cemy now.

In between the showers, I took a walk around the very lush Highland Road Cemetery and although there was a heavy blanket of cloud overhead, it was bright enough and dry to spend an hour there. Sadly, no migrants were found during my walk, but the male Green Woodpecker finally put in an appearance today; my first sighting of the bird this year within the Cemetery.

Above, the male Green Woodpecker finally put in an appearance in the Cemetery today. I did hear him last week calling from the Cemetery, but it was the first time I have seen him here this year. Below, I found at least three Dunnocks today; one on the east side and a pair over on the west side.

Above, a lone Swift sails the leaden skies over the Cemetery.

Up to 20 species were seen or heard on my walk around the Cemetery and now that Swifts are well and truly back now, I wasn't surprised that at least one was seen flying high over, but no Swallows passing through. A juvenile Blackbird was seen in the south-west corner, busy searching for food in the tall grass among several adult birds and the Starlings. A juvenile Robin was also seen a couple of times, flying from bush to bush chasing an adult bird to be fed.

Above, the Blackbird fledgling was busy searching for food in the long grass and below, a pair of Goldfinches perching on the side of a building by the Cemetery!

Above, a good many Starlings were searching for food also within the long grass.

It was when I got to the south side of the Cemetery, when I first heard the Green Woodpecker calling. However, it took me some time to finally locate the bird high up in one of the Horse Chestnut trees, where it remained and called several times during my stay there. With its consistent calling, I assume it was trying to attract a mate here? Birds seen or heard in the Cemetery today included the following:

• Green Woodpecker (male).
• Herring Gull
• Black-headed Gull
• Wood Pigeon
• Collared Dove
• Feral Pigeon
• House Sparrow
• Starling
• Wren
• Robin
• Dunnock
• Goldfinch
• Greenfinch
• Blackbird
• Carrion Crow
• Magpie
• Jay
• Blue Tit
• Great Tit
• Swift 

Above, a Goldfinch posing nicely and below, another photo of the male Green Woodpecker blending in nicely with the leaves and proving quite tough to locate.

Insects were going to be a premium here today, what with the lack of bright sunshine, but I did find a few Marmalade Hoverflies on some of the flowers. A few more flower species were now showing that included both Smooth and Prickly-sow Thistle and one grave held a good spray of Ox-eye Daisies. In fact, a lot of the graves had long species of grass growing out of them and with the grass being long and lush, the whole area looked so green; just how a Cemetery should look and not overgrown or ambushed by the Council’s weedkiller.

Above, Ox-eye Daisy and below, a species of Grass called Black Grass or Slender Foxtail.

Above, Prickly Sow-thistle and below, Yarrow.

Above, a Marmalade Hoverfly made a brief appearance.

Above, Bulbous Buttercup and below, Red Dead-nettle; both growing profusely throughout the Cemetery.