Medbourne and school run

Walked the girls to school today and then got a lift into work. So we walked down the side of Shenley Wood. The Parks Trust have been doing a lot of coppicing work recently and I predict the Bluebell explosion is going to be particularly spectacularly this spring. Highlights of the walk in (and reason for this post), firstly a Nuthatch flew from a small stand alone tree next to the houses and into the wood, nice year tick. Then near the play park I could hear "chirping"? Thought it sounded strange/unfamiliar and thought it sound like a Sparrow! So I stopped and tracked the "chirping" and there next to us in the bare hedge were a male and female House Sparrow!!!!! Medbourne Mega!!!!. In our four plus years of living on this estate I've only seen one other House Sparrow, a female briefly in our back garden on the bird table about 2 years ago. Nice start to the day.

Fascinating read.............

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/songbird-survival.html

Medbourne Waxwings

15:00 on Sunday I was playing football with the lad next door in our cul-de-sac whilst my daughters were playing outside. I looked up to see a large flock of about 40 plus birds flying roof height down Vernier Crescent. I could hear a faint 'trilling' sound which made to pay more attention to the birds. Accompanying this noise as an ID feature I also noted shorter/stubbier head profiles (i.e. no long beak as on a Starling). Also they appeared lighter in colour in the dull grey of the afternoon skyline. Plus the flight just seemed more 'jerky'.
The continued on their journey over the roof tops and towards Grange Farm.

Probably a Ferret..........

Coming back from a night out in Stony Stratford on Friday, we were on route past Hazeley Wood to drop one of the party off in Grange Farm. As we travelled along the end of the H4 (sat in the back) I spotted something moving across the road. It looked weird because it blended in with the orangy/yellow street lights as it crossed the road. We slowed down and actually started to reverse back up the road to get a better look (now all 5 of us were straining to get a look). I can only say it was probably a Ferret.
Description: Bigger than Weasel and Stoat. Long low and stretched out body (classic mustelid shape), white/pale/yellow fur with possibly darker colouring towards the tips of the hair? Didn't get a view of the face and can't remember anything about the colouration on the tail. It was not bothered by us and happily bounded off towards the houses.