Well the title got your attention ! A quick midweek update as I think that the arrival of the first winter Thrushes is always worth a mention. the first Redwing passed over the house around 10am ,and then a small flock of Fieldfare (6) went north just after. So with that in mind Willow and I hot footed it onto the patch to see what else might of dropped in or was passing over.
Redwing eventually got to 35 plus but none stopped ,they seem to be heading in all directions really. No more Fieldfares were seen .Other thrushes were 12 plus Blackbird including a definite continental bird and 2 Song Thrushes dropped out of the sky.
In the hedgerows there were around 13 pus Robins this afternoon ,so some must of moved on (810 at Spurn Point yesterday !), .Our run of Bullfinches continues with a healthy 5 today and a really nice flock of 20 plus Long Tailed Tits was nice to see.
On the pastures a really good count of 41 plus Skylarks was had and Meadow Pipits were at 89 plus around the patch .100 plus Starling were feeding on stubble, as were 11 plus Pied wagtails.
The linnet passage continues on with 35 plus over along with 20 plus Goldfinch both moving south.
The best of the rest were a Jay, 2 Buzzard, 7 Stock Dove and a Cormorant over. Anyway just a quick update and I am off the latter part of next week but it looks as if I have chosen the wrong week with all the good birds arriving on the east coast this week, well you never know what might turn up next week .
I must mention the incredible 550 plus Ring Ouzels at Dungeness yesterday (YES THAT IS 550 !)
Wednesday, 15 October 2014
Monday, 13 October 2014
Fogbound
Having heard about all the great birds that were bouncing around everywhere I was chomping at the bit to get out on Sunday having missed out on Saturday due to family commitments .So when I opened curtains and saw a real pea souper it brought me down with a bump.
We went out anyway as you never know there could be a really salacious bad ass bird out there ready to been seen.
The first thing I noticed was there were Robins ticking away in the hedges and a count of 25 plus were logged. The last vestiges of summer hung on with 3 Chiffchaff and a male Blackcap that was feeding on elderberries.
The usual haunt held a Bullfinch and a couple of Jays were heard screeching from the undergrowth .
Overhead some birds still moved over below the fog bank with a flock 17 Linnet heading south .A rather unruly gang of Starlings fed briefly on Hawthorns ,they looked as if they were migrants and a count of 100 plus was made. Skylarks were heard overhead but in the fog I only saw 9 ,likewise just 20 Meadow Pipits but I am sure there were many more about, I just could not see them in the fog ! .A small flock of 6 Greylag Geese circled over ,lost in the fog calling.
Wagtails were on the move with 5 Pied Wagtails seen and then a flock of 12 which passed over south west ,one bird sounded and looked like a good candidate for a White but in the fog I could not be sure (would of been number 86 for the year) .
The best bird seen was a superb male Stonechat on a wire fence by some rough ground ,the second bird of the Autumn for the patch .
There had been an arrival of Blackbirds overnight with at least 20 plus seen in the hedges ,also a couple of Song thrushes dropped out of the fog.
The best of the rest were a Raven, Green Woodpecker, Stock Dove ,2 Red Legged Partridge .
The high light of the week for me was the late surge of 21 Swallow on Thursday ,the first birds seen for at least 2 and half weeks ,it was great to see the last of the summer "gang" before they left for the winter. Good luck on your journey my old mates see you next year Amigos .Lets hope the next week starts with a bang ,maybe a Great Grey Shrike ? .
We went out anyway as you never know there could be a really salacious bad ass bird out there ready to been seen.
The first thing I noticed was there were Robins ticking away in the hedges and a count of 25 plus were logged. The last vestiges of summer hung on with 3 Chiffchaff and a male Blackcap that was feeding on elderberries.
The usual haunt held a Bullfinch and a couple of Jays were heard screeching from the undergrowth .
Overhead some birds still moved over below the fog bank with a flock 17 Linnet heading south .A rather unruly gang of Starlings fed briefly on Hawthorns ,they looked as if they were migrants and a count of 100 plus was made. Skylarks were heard overhead but in the fog I only saw 9 ,likewise just 20 Meadow Pipits but I am sure there were many more about, I just could not see them in the fog ! .A small flock of 6 Greylag Geese circled over ,lost in the fog calling.
Wagtails were on the move with 5 Pied Wagtails seen and then a flock of 12 which passed over south west ,one bird sounded and looked like a good candidate for a White but in the fog I could not be sure (would of been number 86 for the year) .
The best bird seen was a superb male Stonechat on a wire fence by some rough ground ,the second bird of the Autumn for the patch .
There had been an arrival of Blackbirds overnight with at least 20 plus seen in the hedges ,also a couple of Song thrushes dropped out of the fog.
The best of the rest were a Raven, Green Woodpecker, Stock Dove ,2 Red Legged Partridge .
The high light of the week for me was the late surge of 21 Swallow on Thursday ,the first birds seen for at least 2 and half weeks ,it was great to see the last of the summer "gang" before they left for the winter. Good luck on your journey my old mates see you next year Amigos .Lets hope the next week starts with a bang ,maybe a Great Grey Shrike ? .
Sunday, 5 October 2014
Fields of Gold
A truly stunning morning ,and the first frost of the Autumn . As the sun rose a mist hung over the meadows , just stunning. Although there had been a frost it was only slight so had no penetration into the already hard ground.
In the bushes the Robin invasion continues with at least 25 plus seen today, they really are every where at the moment. The last embers of summer remain in the form of Chiffchaffs that continue to pass through with another 7 plus found this morning ,2 even sang for a short while . But it was the real Autumn birds that got the blood pumping this morning with a double whammy in the form of a pair of Reed Bunting and species number 85 for the year with a superb Stonechat on one of the hedges. I know there has been a large influx this Autumn and so its great to say they have reached even here.
On the pastures and stubble fields a nice flock of 50 plus Linnet were feeding. They will build up over the next few weeks as they pass through on the way south ,along side them were at least 118 plus Meadow Pipits which were feeding and some were passing over .
Skylarks have got going with at least 35 plus today ,some were on the pasture feeding but some passed over straight southwards. A slight disappointment were the 5 Pied Wagtail that were on pasture,I had expected many more today. A fellow birder had seen over 80 plus over Painswick Beacon this morning.
Overhead a Cormorant passed north and a fine skien of 45 plus feral Greylag flew out from the river meadows , 9 birds fed for a short while on a stubble field. The other birds that passed over were a Grey Heron north to south and a flock of 10 Stock Dove .
Raptors were 3 Buzzard ,a male Sparrow Hawk that was getting a good kicking from the local Jackdaws ,and like wise a female Kestrel that was suffering the same fate.
A Jay screeched deep from cover, so its nice to know that they are still around. The usual Woodpeckers were around with 2 Green Woodpeckers and a single Greater Spotted .
There appeared to be a few more Finches passing southwards and the highlight was a flock of 4 Bullfinch that passed over south , a further 3 were seen or heard in the hedges ,so a good count of 7 were seen today, more than enough for my Bullfinch fan !
So today we reached the same total of species seen in the whole of last year and its only October ,so hopefully we will break our record. We still await the arrival of the winter thrushes and it cannot be long before they arrive.
The total number of species for the year for the patch is now 85.
In the bushes the Robin invasion continues with at least 25 plus seen today, they really are every where at the moment. The last embers of summer remain in the form of Chiffchaffs that continue to pass through with another 7 plus found this morning ,2 even sang for a short while . But it was the real Autumn birds that got the blood pumping this morning with a double whammy in the form of a pair of Reed Bunting and species number 85 for the year with a superb Stonechat on one of the hedges. I know there has been a large influx this Autumn and so its great to say they have reached even here.
On the pastures and stubble fields a nice flock of 50 plus Linnet were feeding. They will build up over the next few weeks as they pass through on the way south ,along side them were at least 118 plus Meadow Pipits which were feeding and some were passing over .
Skylarks have got going with at least 35 plus today ,some were on the pasture feeding but some passed over straight southwards. A slight disappointment were the 5 Pied Wagtail that were on pasture,I had expected many more today. A fellow birder had seen over 80 plus over Painswick Beacon this morning.
Overhead a Cormorant passed north and a fine skien of 45 plus feral Greylag flew out from the river meadows , 9 birds fed for a short while on a stubble field. The other birds that passed over were a Grey Heron north to south and a flock of 10 Stock Dove .
Raptors were 3 Buzzard ,a male Sparrow Hawk that was getting a good kicking from the local Jackdaws ,and like wise a female Kestrel that was suffering the same fate.
A Jay screeched deep from cover, so its nice to know that they are still around. The usual Woodpeckers were around with 2 Green Woodpeckers and a single Greater Spotted .
There appeared to be a few more Finches passing southwards and the highlight was a flock of 4 Bullfinch that passed over south , a further 3 were seen or heard in the hedges ,so a good count of 7 were seen today, more than enough for my Bullfinch fan !
So today we reached the same total of species seen in the whole of last year and its only October ,so hopefully we will break our record. We still await the arrival of the winter thrushes and it cannot be long before they arrive.
The total number of species for the year for the patch is now 85.
Saturday, 4 October 2014
Autumn Blast
So with a great gush Autumn arrived overnight ,the first spit of rain fell as Willow and I left the cottage, it certainly felt very different to the roasting September we have enjoyed .
The last week has stood out for the good passage of Meadow Pipits that have passed through with flocks over a 100 plus through out the week. I also managed to find Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps in the bushes and both Tawny and Little Owls have been vocal .
So Saturdays walk as I say was a very wet affair with constant rain in the 2 and half hours Willow and I were out .
In the bushes Robins were still very prevalent with 19 plus been seen , some must be continental in origin .I also managed to find 10 plus Chiffchaff and I have no doubt that there were more around lurking in the under growth .
A nice female Blackcap feeding on black berries was a nice bonus ,and a Bullfinch was heard but not seen .
On the pastures the rain had brought down the passing Meadow Pipits and over 200 plus were on pastures and the stubble fields . The wagtail passage has finally got going with 10 plus Pied Wagtail feeding on the stubble in the top fields. A small flock of 20 plus Linnet were also feeding on the stubble. Skylarks were feeding on pastures and the wintering flock is beginning to build with 22 plus seen today.
A rather soggy Red Legged Partridge ran across a wet field, and just 4 Stock Dove were feeding on the stubble with around 50 plus Wood pigeon. .
Overhead 2 Mistle Thrush passed south and around 60 plus Starling were on the over head wires . Song thrushes and Blackbirds seem to be dropping in in ones and two s , I presume they were migrants but as yet no sign of Redwings or Fieldfares although I understand a few have been seen around fairly locally.
A Green Woodpecker was seen feeding near the magic hedge (which is not so magic at the moment ).
So with a northerly airflow from tomorrow Willow and I will be out looking for the first winter Thrushes in the morning ,wish us luck !
Oh I forgot a Jay flew over the garden as we arrived back at the cottage , just as I was thinking they had moved on.
The last week has stood out for the good passage of Meadow Pipits that have passed through with flocks over a 100 plus through out the week. I also managed to find Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps in the bushes and both Tawny and Little Owls have been vocal .
So Saturdays walk as I say was a very wet affair with constant rain in the 2 and half hours Willow and I were out .
In the bushes Robins were still very prevalent with 19 plus been seen , some must be continental in origin .I also managed to find 10 plus Chiffchaff and I have no doubt that there were more around lurking in the under growth .
A nice female Blackcap feeding on black berries was a nice bonus ,and a Bullfinch was heard but not seen .
On the pastures the rain had brought down the passing Meadow Pipits and over 200 plus were on pastures and the stubble fields . The wagtail passage has finally got going with 10 plus Pied Wagtail feeding on the stubble in the top fields. A small flock of 20 plus Linnet were also feeding on the stubble. Skylarks were feeding on pastures and the wintering flock is beginning to build with 22 plus seen today.
A rather soggy Red Legged Partridge ran across a wet field, and just 4 Stock Dove were feeding on the stubble with around 50 plus Wood pigeon. .
Overhead 2 Mistle Thrush passed south and around 60 plus Starling were on the over head wires . Song thrushes and Blackbirds seem to be dropping in in ones and two s , I presume they were migrants but as yet no sign of Redwings or Fieldfares although I understand a few have been seen around fairly locally.
A Green Woodpecker was seen feeding near the magic hedge (which is not so magic at the moment ).
So with a northerly airflow from tomorrow Willow and I will be out looking for the first winter Thrushes in the morning ,wish us luck !
Oh I forgot a Jay flew over the garden as we arrived back at the cottage , just as I was thinking they had moved on.
Sunday, 28 September 2014
Friday/Saturday/Sunday update.
So after a entertaining trip to Spurn on Thursday (plenty of cracking birds including the Masked Shrike ) it was back to the patch, one thing is for certain we are no Spurn Point but we still see migrants come through our little patch of nowhere .
Friday appeared to be the day the local Swallows and House Martins left ,there were at least 80 plus Swallow and 40 plus House Martins feeding over the pastures until they all moved south on mass .Time pressure meant I could not get around the whole patch and I had the feeling that were more birds to be found , so it was a bit frustrating to say the least .
Other migrants that were on the pastures or passed overhead were 44 plus Meadow Pipits, 4 Jay , 16 plus Skylark and a flock of 50 plus Woodpigeons.
In the bushes and hedges were 8 plus Chiffchaff ,12 plus Robin but in the short time I had I failed to find anything else other than the usual resident birds.
Around the field edges were the usual Green Woodpecker, Greater Spotted Woodpecker, a single Stock Dove, a flock of 102 Starling and a flyover Pied Wagtail.
So Saturday dawned in the usual benign way ,the weather seems to be stuck in a real rut at the moment and although dry its getting quite boring really, bring on some colder weather that's what I say.
Walking around the bushes and hedges in the early sunshine I checked out the warmer more moist hidden areas of the patch and found 12 plus Chiffchaff feeding ,17 plus Robin and the Autumns first Goldcrest which was in amongst a flock of 15 Long Tailed Tits
Looking on Twitter parts of Gloucestershire were seeing large numbers of Swallows and House Martins passing over. Only a few Swallows passed over and all we could manage were 2 flocks of 14 and 10 and a single bird, thousands were passing at nearby watch points but not here today !
2 Mistle Thrush passed high over to the south calling as they went over ,their northern cousins will soon be with us anyday now I hope.
Starling are now regular and numbers will build as the winter visitors arrive so the first of these flocks were seen today 80 plus on pasture.
Two other Autumn migrants were about with Skylarks 12 plus over heading south and small parties of Meadow pipits just 12 passing over this morning.
There were more Finches around and perhaps just a hint of some Autumn passage with 25 plus Linnet over and a southward bound flock of 10 Goldfinch .A pair of Bullfinch were in the usual place both male and female seen together.
I have read that there are large numbers of Jays are arriving in the country due to an Acorn failure so that will go some way to explaining why we are seeing them passing over on a regular basis at the moment ,another 2 were seen today.
The usual Woodpeckers were about with a Green and 3 Greater Spotted.
The best of the rest were 2 Pied Wagtail , Buzzard and 5 Stock Dove . The day finished with a Little Owl calling from the hedgerow beside the cottage at 8pm
Sunday was a carbon copy weather wise and to a lesser or greater extent so were the birds. I was however woken at 1.20 am by a calling Tawny Owl so I was out by 7am as soon as it got properly light .
Checking out the hedges and bushes I found a healthy 13 plus Chiffchaff ,another 15 plus Robins, and 2 Blackcap.
The star bird of the day was a Peregrine Falcon that passed west at 7.15am , they are winter visitors to Ashleworth Ham so this could be the first of the winter birds or just a passage migrant. Other birds of prey were a fine male Sparrow hawk and a female Kestrel calling as she passed over. A couple of Buzzards were soaring high above the cottage at around 10.30am .
Other migrants that passed over were 3 very high flying Mistle Thrush which were seen appearing from high north and heading due south, just 7 House Martins heading south east and a fast flying flock of 4 Swallows which zipped past Africa bound.
Skylarks are now becoming much more noticeable with 21 plus been around the patch some passed south whilst others gave the appearance that maybe they are our wintering birds.
It is nice to report that Meadow Pipits were aplenty on the patch today some passed over but a nice flock of 45 plus were in the top fields this morning they really are a very attractive bird when looked at closely, their creamy breast and those streaks ,very striking birds .The final total seen were 78 plus .
Pied wagtails have started to pass over now and although only 3 did today ,more will follow as we get into October
Just 1 Raven today was seen but 4 Jays were on the patch again.
The best of rest of todays birds were a Red Legged partridge, Green Woodpecker, Greater Spotted Woodpecker, Stock Dove .So it would appear that the patch is under going a quiet period but with October things will get better soon .
Friday appeared to be the day the local Swallows and House Martins left ,there were at least 80 plus Swallow and 40 plus House Martins feeding over the pastures until they all moved south on mass .Time pressure meant I could not get around the whole patch and I had the feeling that were more birds to be found , so it was a bit frustrating to say the least .
Other migrants that were on the pastures or passed overhead were 44 plus Meadow Pipits, 4 Jay , 16 plus Skylark and a flock of 50 plus Woodpigeons.
In the bushes and hedges were 8 plus Chiffchaff ,12 plus Robin but in the short time I had I failed to find anything else other than the usual resident birds.
Around the field edges were the usual Green Woodpecker, Greater Spotted Woodpecker, a single Stock Dove, a flock of 102 Starling and a flyover Pied Wagtail.
So Saturday dawned in the usual benign way ,the weather seems to be stuck in a real rut at the moment and although dry its getting quite boring really, bring on some colder weather that's what I say.
Walking around the bushes and hedges in the early sunshine I checked out the warmer more moist hidden areas of the patch and found 12 plus Chiffchaff feeding ,17 plus Robin and the Autumns first Goldcrest which was in amongst a flock of 15 Long Tailed Tits
Looking on Twitter parts of Gloucestershire were seeing large numbers of Swallows and House Martins passing over. Only a few Swallows passed over and all we could manage were 2 flocks of 14 and 10 and a single bird, thousands were passing at nearby watch points but not here today !
2 Mistle Thrush passed high over to the south calling as they went over ,their northern cousins will soon be with us anyday now I hope.
Starling are now regular and numbers will build as the winter visitors arrive so the first of these flocks were seen today 80 plus on pasture.
Two other Autumn migrants were about with Skylarks 12 plus over heading south and small parties of Meadow pipits just 12 passing over this morning.
There were more Finches around and perhaps just a hint of some Autumn passage with 25 plus Linnet over and a southward bound flock of 10 Goldfinch .A pair of Bullfinch were in the usual place both male and female seen together.
I have read that there are large numbers of Jays are arriving in the country due to an Acorn failure so that will go some way to explaining why we are seeing them passing over on a regular basis at the moment ,another 2 were seen today.
The usual Woodpeckers were about with a Green and 3 Greater Spotted.
The best of the rest were 2 Pied Wagtail , Buzzard and 5 Stock Dove . The day finished with a Little Owl calling from the hedgerow beside the cottage at 8pm
Sunday was a carbon copy weather wise and to a lesser or greater extent so were the birds. I was however woken at 1.20 am by a calling Tawny Owl so I was out by 7am as soon as it got properly light .
Checking out the hedges and bushes I found a healthy 13 plus Chiffchaff ,another 15 plus Robins, and 2 Blackcap.
The star bird of the day was a Peregrine Falcon that passed west at 7.15am , they are winter visitors to Ashleworth Ham so this could be the first of the winter birds or just a passage migrant. Other birds of prey were a fine male Sparrow hawk and a female Kestrel calling as she passed over. A couple of Buzzards were soaring high above the cottage at around 10.30am .
Other migrants that passed over were 3 very high flying Mistle Thrush which were seen appearing from high north and heading due south, just 7 House Martins heading south east and a fast flying flock of 4 Swallows which zipped past Africa bound.
Skylarks are now becoming much more noticeable with 21 plus been around the patch some passed south whilst others gave the appearance that maybe they are our wintering birds.
It is nice to report that Meadow Pipits were aplenty on the patch today some passed over but a nice flock of 45 plus were in the top fields this morning they really are a very attractive bird when looked at closely, their creamy breast and those streaks ,very striking birds .The final total seen were 78 plus .
Pied wagtails have started to pass over now and although only 3 did today ,more will follow as we get into October
Just 1 Raven today was seen but 4 Jays were on the patch again.
The best of rest of todays birds were a Red Legged partridge, Green Woodpecker, Greater Spotted Woodpecker, Stock Dove .So it would appear that the patch is under going a quiet period but with October things will get better soon .
Wednesday, 24 September 2014
Wet Wednesday
Having looked at the weather forecast on Tuesday night and seeing that a band of rain followed by a breeze from the north I decided to get on the patch early .So Willow and I were out at first light around 7.15am .A gentle rain was falling and it appeared that not a lot was happening when out of the murk a flock of Swallows appeared from on high , they had been caught out by the passing shower ,they landed on wires to rest and feed whilst the rain passed over. This made them easy to count, 95 birds with just 2 House Martin . After that Swallows passed over in dribs and drabs over the next two and half hours and a final tally of 225 plus passed south along with just 20 plus House Martins today. The latter been somewhat short of the count of 60,000 that passed over Sandwich bird observatory yesterday, what a sight that must of been !
The bushes and hedges seem to have a fair few migrants that had been dropped onto us by the rain band ,a good count of at least 20 plus Chiffchaffs ( there must of been more around ), were supplemented by 19 plus Robin, singles of Redstart, Lesser Whitethroat, Whitethroat, Willow Warbler, plus at least 3 plus Blackcap. A really nice selection of birds .
Other birds seen in the hedges were a juvenile Bullfinch , a Yellowhammer , something that I have not recorded on the patch for ages so that was a nice surprise.
On the pastures the rain had brought down a fair few Meadow Pipits with a flock of 120 plus on a stubble field and 55 plus passing over in small groups all towards the south west .So we managed 175 plus after yesterdays poor performance .A decent size group of Skylarks were seen with a flock of 17 on a fodder beet field.
Jays continue to make themselves known with 3 today including one that passed over due south. Maybe a few migrant Stock Doves were on the patch today with 15 been seen ,that's more than the usual count and should increase next month as the migrant Woodpigeons pass through .
After yesterdays raptor fest all I could manage was a poor 2 Buzzard today ,a single Raven gronked its way over the patch .
The best of the rest were a skien of 40 feral Greylag Geese, 9 Canada Geese, Green Woodpecker, 2 Greater Spotted Woodpecker , and 2 Pied wagtail .
So a nice selection of birds this morning from my little patch of no where , it really does surprise me what passes through here .
Bring on Friday morning !
The bushes and hedges seem to have a fair few migrants that had been dropped onto us by the rain band ,a good count of at least 20 plus Chiffchaffs ( there must of been more around ), were supplemented by 19 plus Robin, singles of Redstart, Lesser Whitethroat, Whitethroat, Willow Warbler, plus at least 3 plus Blackcap. A really nice selection of birds .
Other birds seen in the hedges were a juvenile Bullfinch , a Yellowhammer , something that I have not recorded on the patch for ages so that was a nice surprise.
On the pastures the rain had brought down a fair few Meadow Pipits with a flock of 120 plus on a stubble field and 55 plus passing over in small groups all towards the south west .So we managed 175 plus after yesterdays poor performance .A decent size group of Skylarks were seen with a flock of 17 on a fodder beet field.
Jays continue to make themselves known with 3 today including one that passed over due south. Maybe a few migrant Stock Doves were on the patch today with 15 been seen ,that's more than the usual count and should increase next month as the migrant Woodpigeons pass through .
After yesterdays raptor fest all I could manage was a poor 2 Buzzard today ,a single Raven gronked its way over the patch .
The best of the rest were a skien of 40 feral Greylag Geese, 9 Canada Geese, Green Woodpecker, 2 Greater Spotted Woodpecker , and 2 Pied wagtail .
So a nice selection of birds this morning from my little patch of no where , it really does surprise me what passes through here .
Bring on Friday morning !
Tuesday, 23 September 2014
Another day in paradise
Another day off work ,more sunshine and a cool start so we hit the patch again this morning.
The bushes and hedgerows showed a little more life this morning with another Lesser Whitethroat, 8 plus Chiffchaff and at least 3 plus Blackcap .The influx of Robins continues with 13 plus seen again today.
Overhead took most of the attention this morning with 102 plus Swallows feeding over the area, others moved straight south ,they were accompanied by 100 plus House Martins most of the latter were at much lower altitude than the Swallows .
2 more Jays moved to the south as did a solitary Skylark .Its raptors this morning who featured well with a dashing Hobby through at around 9.30 am, 2 Jackdaws were trying to give a hard time but it left them for dead. 5 Buzzards were over the patch and at one point I was watching a soaring Buzzard along with a soaring female Sparrow hawk and a female Kestrel all together ,a great sight. The Raven count was 3 ,down on the heady heights of 6 the other day.
Other Autumn migrants were present albeit in smaller numbers than the other day with just 9 Meadow Pipits today ,again well down from yesterday ,but it just shows how quickly some birds move on. Another single Mistle Thrush was present today as were 20 plus Goldfinch.
A Wagtail passed south but it did not look right for a Pied so I am going to mark it down as an Alba Wagtail although I am not adding it to the species list for the patch for the year as I did not ID firmly . Woodpeckers today were 1 Green and at least 3Greater Spotted.
The bird of the day however was a stunning Greenland type Wheatear perched on wire fence in the top fields , a cracker of a bird .
So a nice bonus walk with a good selection of birds ,the resident birds seem to have had a good breeding season this year as have the summer visitors .
What will Wednesday bring ?
The bushes and hedgerows showed a little more life this morning with another Lesser Whitethroat, 8 plus Chiffchaff and at least 3 plus Blackcap .The influx of Robins continues with 13 plus seen again today.
Overhead took most of the attention this morning with 102 plus Swallows feeding over the area, others moved straight south ,they were accompanied by 100 plus House Martins most of the latter were at much lower altitude than the Swallows .
2 more Jays moved to the south as did a solitary Skylark .Its raptors this morning who featured well with a dashing Hobby through at around 9.30 am, 2 Jackdaws were trying to give a hard time but it left them for dead. 5 Buzzards were over the patch and at one point I was watching a soaring Buzzard along with a soaring female Sparrow hawk and a female Kestrel all together ,a great sight. The Raven count was 3 ,down on the heady heights of 6 the other day.
Other Autumn migrants were present albeit in smaller numbers than the other day with just 9 Meadow Pipits today ,again well down from yesterday ,but it just shows how quickly some birds move on. Another single Mistle Thrush was present today as were 20 plus Goldfinch.
A Wagtail passed south but it did not look right for a Pied so I am going to mark it down as an Alba Wagtail although I am not adding it to the species list for the patch for the year as I did not ID firmly . Woodpeckers today were 1 Green and at least 3Greater Spotted.
The bird of the day however was a stunning Greenland type Wheatear perched on wire fence in the top fields , a cracker of a bird .
So a nice bonus walk with a good selection of birds ,the resident birds seem to have had a good breeding season this year as have the summer visitors .
What will Wednesday bring ?
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