The patch has been running hot at the moment with Autumn migration really going along at a nice pace. The magic hedgerow has attracted Redstart , multiple Spotted Flycatchers, Lesser Whitethroats, Whitethroats, Blackcaps, Chiffchaffs and Willow Warblers . There has been the first trickle of Swallow and Martins passing south and south west as well. The Thursday morning as I was getting up for work a Little Owl was calling ,a small compensation for getting up at 4.15am !
So as Saturday dawned clear and sunny I was sort of optimistic that it could be a good walk. Stumbling bleary eyed out of the front door with Willow doing her pre walk two legged dance in front of me my spider senses were alerted by a Willow Warbler singing from the hedgerow just behind the cottage .It was game on then .
Into the first field and towards the magic hedgerow , yep lots of movement and darting little birds feeding on the Elderberries and insects . As I walked along the hedge line it was Chiffchaffs that were most evident and in the end I found at least 14 plus As I sorted through them I managed to see 5 Willow Warblers with 2 very helpfully singing .
Also darting about were 3 Lesser Whitethroat , 2 Whitethroat, 2 male and 1 female Redstart now this was getting really good , after finding 4 Spotted Flycatchers I was thinking could it get any better when my attention was drawn to a bird sitting on a fence post at the edge of a fodder beet field, a quick glance and I was greeted by a superb Whinchat flycatching .Cracking birds and a real treat to see them on the patch .
The sounds of House Martins made me glance skywards and a flock of 40 plus House Martins passed over heading down the river valley south . Swallows seem to have been local birds with 7 plus been seen .
Moving on away from the hedges a Mistle Thrush passed over ,as did the usually invisible Green Woodpecker .A Greater Spotted Woody called and flew straight over my head.
As I turned for home the soft call of a Bullfinch alerted to its presence ,but I did not catch a glimpse of it.
The sun was now fairly high up raptors started to appear , first a hunting female Kestrel ,then a male Sparrow hawk and then Buzzards ,first the usual mewing juvenile but then joined by 5 adults who together with a Sparrow hawk were soaring over the cottage together, an awesome sight.
The Raven is still hanging around and there were 4 Stock doves in the usual places.
It was also nice to find a small flock of 15 plus House Sparrows feeding on thee edge of a maize field .
So the autumn is beginning to hot up and even in my little patch of no where you can see migration happening, so I suppose it does not matter where you are really if you keep your eyes peeled on your on area you will be surprised what you see .Patch birding is hard but worth the rewards when they appear The Autumn has stared well so lets hope its just the start of a cracker.
