Young in the safety of the shade

Dave Steel

David Steel has been recording birds – and other wildlife on the Manchester Mosslands ever since he was a child. Dave knows every nook and cranny, and he sees the area as his own. Dave often leads guided walks on the mosses and his blogs capture his

Young buzzard in nest by Dave Steel

With the thermometer promising a “cool” 30C today, a quiet corner in the shade was the order of the day, where I could do bit of pondering for my wild day number 25.

It’s one which celebrates the next generation of birds that I have managed to see out on the moss so far this season.

First, it’s the young buzzard sitting in its nest, to think, a decade or so ago these were uncommon visitors but, since there has been less persecution of this species in recent years, this worm-eating, carrion-finding, eclectic diner of a raptor has graced the moss, sometimes filling the airwaves with its mewing call.

Lapwing, having had a turbulent start to their season, with the weather disrupting their early efforts, seem to have won through and raised some young.

Reed bunting, still in the turmoil of their breeding season, have been tending their young in the nests with this also applying to meadow pipit and yellow wagtail - never mind the always reliable yellowhammer, which often sings into August.

Willow warbler, in issuing their “hu-weet” call, tell me that their young have hatched and are feeding up on the reliable hatch of insects the moss produces. I hope they like horseflies because I don’t - even though they seem to love me!

Young robin, out fending for themselves already, have a feathering that camouflages them in the dappled-lit cover they spend most of their time in, for as yet they await their moult into adult red-breasted plumage.

Summing up from my shade-blessed corner, as I earlier noted a young kestrel doing the same, I would say that so far the wild on the moss is having a good season of renewal. Now for yet another bottle of water.