Week 4, and a few toys.

I am starting my 4th week off work today, and am getting used to the daily routine. Apart from a day or maybe two taking Mum shopping, it's been a case of getting out for a walk in the early part of the morning, followed by varying amounts of gardening.
There was a slight hiccup when Mum had to be taken into Lister with gallstones. Luckily it was sorted and she should have been out the next day, but there was a holdup sorting out her meds. Rather than spend the weekend occupying a bed, she came home, and I had to go to the ward on Monday to pick the pills up. Not good for me to visit the hospital at this particular time, but luckily it was very quiet, plus parking is currently free, and since its been over a week now, I guess I haven't picked anything nasty up.
The birding continues largely as before, with regular trips around the lakes, particularly during cloudy or drizzly spells (not that we've had many of those) in the hope of a wader or two dropping in. Hasn't happened yet, but with the additional tours around the Aston End area I have picked up many summer migrants now, and so far this April I have recorded 66 species, all in the Stevenage 10kM square-and that's just the two sites mentioned plus my garden.
To add to the fun I have bought a couple of gadgets. Nocturnal migration seems to be a big thing during lock down, with birders picking up species they never thought would occur over they gardens, and while many have been sitting outside for hours on end, others have set up recorders and then spent the following day trying to decipher what, if anything has been picked up. This has been well proven at places like Portland Bill, where a lot of interesting things have been logged. Unfortunately, a lot of suburban nocmigging has revealed lots of distant cars, dogs barking and various domestic disputes, but there have been a lot of gems-one guy I follow on social media has had the expected Oystercatchers, Whimbrels and so on (he's on the Devon Coast) but also had a Stone Curlew the other night-a real county mega. I have bought a recorder myself, but have yet to use it in anger.
I have been out in the garden now and again as it has been pretty clear, so I have been doing a bit of star gazing and doing a few experiments with my camera. Being clear, any birds are likely to be high up, and so I haven't actually heard anything while I have been out-not even an owl. However, along with the recorder, a Tascam DR 05X, I also got a bat detector that fits on my phone. For as long as I can remember, bats have flown around the house, and we have assumed that they are pipistrelles of some sort. On the second night of trying, the detector triggered and I got a clear record of a Common Pipistrelle. Be interesting to see if anything else gets picked up as I have on odd occasions suspected a larger species over the garden.
At some point or other, I am intending to try a late evening walk around Aston End in an effort to try and locate some owls, and I will take the detector with me. There is some old woodlands on the route, but sadly the river has almost dried up so I don't expect to get much. I might have better luck at Fairlands, as the local museum has had bat walks in recent years.