Sunday 19 January 2014

An overdue update

The truth is during the week there was not a lot to talk about ,apart from a female Kestrel that hunted on the patch and good numbers of Redwing ,Fieldfare and Starlings that fed on pastureland.
So Saturday Willow and I were eager to see if things had got any better. Redwings were still in number with around 80 plus (it has been a good winter for these), but much smaller numbers of Fieldfares than of late.
3 Raven passed over the patch and just under the hundred Black Headed Gulls floated over the floodwaters.
As the walk progressed I felt as if a slight wiff of spring was in the air and this was confirmed with the sight of a flock of 12 Linnets, the first for a few weeks .Maybe these are the first birds moving back to their summer haunts.
On a very wet field there were 15 plus Meadow Pipits and a influx of 22 plus Pied Wagtails are these also early spring migrants ?
Just 2 Skylarks today in the usual place and 2 Mistle Thrush were seen. The /a Yellowhammer was heard again in the same spot as the other day.
A good number of Starlings are still in the vicinity with at least 450 plus on pasture. There were also 6 plus Stock Dove .
Sunday Morning was fantastic after overnight rain. It felt really spring like almost like a April morning. The usual Redwings had reduced in numbers with 38 plus and with them around 20 plus Fieldfare .The winter visiting Starlings were on the wet pasture with 300 plus or so , they like the winter Thrushes will soon be heading northwards  unless winter really does arrive  .
The spring like theme was evident with 13 Skylark one of which was in full song and at least 15 Pied Wagtails  passed over or were feeding in the area.
The best sight however were the Meadow Pipits which numbered at least 90 plus this morning ,these birds must be now starting to move north as this is the largest count since last October .
A more unsual sight was a flock of 14 Magpie together.
The best of the rest were 2 Buzzard, 3 Stock Dove, and a Greater Spotted Woodpecker .
The species count remains the same at the moment