Friday 13 September 2013

The past week

As usual with work I have only managed to get out onto the patch for two very brief periods during the week , but Summer has turned to Autumn now and a constant feature has been the overhead passage of Swallows and House Martins moving overhead in a south to south westerly direction .After the first flock of Meadow Pipits last weekend on Thursday a flock of over 60 were feeding a stubble field , many of these birds will be from Iceland and northern Europe and Britain and some will end up in Iberia for the winter months.
Any way I managed a small circuit of the patch on Friday afternoon and in a 90 minute period 120  plus Swallow along with 30 plus House Martin passed southwards. Only 4 Meadow Pipits today passed overhead calling as they went south.
In the hedges were  a late Willow Warbler and 4 Chiffchaff , Green and Greater Spotted Woodpecker and a flock of 100 plus Woodpigeon ,no doubt some of the afore mentioned being migrant moving south . A female Kestrel and 2 Buzzards made up the birds of prey .
 The weather forecast is for rain etc this weekend ,so I am going to get up early tomorrow and see if that drops in any visitors in as they make their way to their winter quarters