I was able to get out for a couple of hours this afternoon, the weather had cheered up a bit, and some brief sunny spells were had, but a sharp shower came over at 16:00 to end my visit, it was getting dark anyway :-)

I went over to the lake, and as usual had a look at the small holding area on the way, where GREEN and GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER wee seen, as well as a small group of at least 4 BULLFINCH, and a flock of mixed CHAFFINCH and GOLDFINCH, around a dozen were on the fallen crab apples. I moved on through the wet woods, but it was quiet here, just a few BLUE TITS and another Great Spotted Woodpecker. Upon reaching the lake I could hear lots of ''quacking'', and not surprising, as there were a minimum of 45 MALLARD on the water, there was also 5 CANADA GEESE, the first this month, 5 MOORHENS, and a CORMORANT, which flew up into a tree, but bird of the day was a lone COOT, a real scarce bird on my patch, although saying that, this is the fourth month this year Ive recorded one, ive been well spoilt!

I stayed around the lake for some time, it is a rare sight to see so much life on the water, but however many times I scanned the mallards, I couldn't make one into a Gadwall, or a Shoveler - they are real rareties!

In the end I left, and walked through the tree nursery, to get to Migrant Alley, and it was the tree nursery that gave me two more new species for the month, a SONGTHRUSH, (That shows how little ive been out this month) and best of all, a SNIPE, a very good bird to have on my patch, about the same rarity status as a Coot! The last Snipe I recorded was back in April.

I only had 20 mins skyscanning at Migrant Alley, but managed to hear the months first SISKIN go over, and a few HERRING GULLS, also a flock of 11 LESSER BLACK BACKED GULLS, a good number for my patch.

So with the five new species today, the months tally hits 50, lets hope the weather holds and I can get out a bit more frequently - it's been a bit stop and start this month!



Above is a ROBIN that was in the tall hedge at Migrant Alley

Above: The cormorant that flew of the ''Lively'' lake today

Above: well.....er....there is a Coot, you might have to enlarge the pic. its at 12 o'clock on the water!

Above, 5 Canada Geese, and a few of the mallards. It really is unusual to see this much activity on the lake.

All I have to offer today is the sighting of the months first LESSER BLACK BACKED GULL, seen on the college sports pitch as I trudged into work in the pouring rain.

This afternoon I trudged back home again - in the pouring rain, which became monsoon like before i got home, I don't believe I've ever been out in such heavy rain before, I couldn't have got any wetter if i'd jumped in a river!

It did brighten up a little later in the afternoon, but I had lost the incentive to go out for the last hour of daylight. I tried to watch the garden feeders, but I ended up chasing off the Sprawk every 20 mins! It's not funny any more!!!

After all that wet and windy weather yesterday, today was much calmer with some long sunny spells. I left for work a little early this morning, as it was light, and was rewarded with 3 new species for Novembers list - A KESTREL hunting over the tree nursery, a GREY WAGTAIL on the manure heap at Migrant Alley, and a skein of 7 GREYLAG GEESE that flew over whilst I admired the wagtail.

This afternoon things turned a bit cloudier, but it was still bright enough to get some photo's at last. I set off on my now usual winter walk, of the small holding, wet woods and Lake/scrub area, only visiting Migrant Alley briefly.

It was good to find 3 male and 2 female BULLFINCH'S in an overgrown area, on the way to the small holding, where another new species for the month, a GREEN WOODPECKER was seen in the Orchard. The wet woods was a bit wetter, after the rain, but not wet enough to find any Teal in there, just a GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER, and a few MOORHEN were seen.

It was the turn of the lake to give some excitement to this afternoons walk, the months first GREY HERON was seen, as well as the first CORMORANT fishing there since Apr 14th. The usual MALLARDS and MOORHENS were about, but the most pleasing find was - at last - MANDARIN DUCK (108), 3 in fact, 2 Males and a Female, the year list goes up by one more, and last years record yearly total of 106 species is left well behind!

Whilst at the lake two more new monthly species were found, the MARSH TIT, which was with a flock of LONG TAILED TITS, and another good one for my patch REDPOLL, at least 3 went over calling.

I made my way over to Migrant Alley and had a short Skywatch, and checked the tall hedge, the latter had the first LINNET of the month, and the skywatch produced a COMMON GULL, not often recorded on my patch, so another good one for the November total. Also noted going over was another GREY HERON, 3 BLACK HEADED GULLS, 5 SKYLARKS, and 10 PIED WAGTAILS that came over to the Greenhouse complex to look for a roost site.

So eleven more for November, and some good species amongst them, brings the list to 44. There are a few more species that i should find easy enough, Treecreeper and Yellowhammer, an Owl Species, maybe another gull, but it's gonna be hard to get to that 66 I got last year!


Whilst at my skywatching seat, this Dunnock came and joined me, It looked at me as if to say '' thanks for scaring away the Sprawk, I don't think you looked funny'' ( thanks mate)

Below is the Linnet

Next is one of the Male Bullfinch that was a wild area, before the Small holding.

lastly the Cormorant, leaving the Lake. I wanted to get a Mandarin Duck photo, as I havn't got one of that species, but they refused to leave the overhanging branches.

It was going to be a wet and windy morning, according to the forecasters, so the idea was to have a rare lie in, and get out this afternoon. I was up at 07:30 and when I looked out of the window the tempest that had been forecast was nowhere to be seen! Ok it was a bit blowy with some spits and spots of rain, but not that bad, why do I take notice of them!

However, after getting myself together, I ventured out and within 20 mins the predicted stormy weather arrived, sending me scuttling back home. There was nothing for it but to do a bit of garden birding. All started ok, the usual BLUE and GREAT TITS came in, ROBIN and DUNNOCK picked at the fallen sunflower hearts, and the CHAFFINCH, GOLDFINCH and GREENFINCH'S had started to arrive, JACKDAWS and WOODPIGEONS were venturing nearer the food, and COLLARED DOVES were chasing BLACKBIRDS around. Suddenly all hell breaks loose, birds flying everywhere in all directions, its back again! pesky SPARROWHAWK!

After that initial failed attack, the Sprawk went up into the favoured Leylani tree, to deliver a surprise attack on the next bird to come to the feeders, however I went out and flushed it off, 10 mins later it was back, so I went out and flushed it off, 10 mins later it was back again, so again I flushed it off, this went on all morning, needless to say I didn't see much else in the garden, just a fleeting glimpse of a COAL TIT and a GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER.

The storm passed over at 13:30 and it began to brighten, so I went off out for a quick visit to the lake, via the wet woods, maybe a duck species had taken shelter on the lake, but no, only MALLARD and MOORHEN were seen. A large party of LONG TAILED TITS were seen on the walk back home, along with a couple of GOLDCRESTS and a group of 4 BULLFINCH'S, but that was all there was of interest. A few of the more common species were noted for the new November list, and a start of 33 species is quite a few less than i would of anticipated, - well thats half of the record November total anyway!

Back to work tomorrow, and with the ever darkening afternoons I'm going to need some good fortune to find them birds, but try i will.

The last day of October, and the last chance to find a new species for the months list. I was keen to get out, but had to wait until 06:30 until it was light enough, however, my enthusiasm was dampened quite literally as a weather front moved through bringing intermittent rain, then a low misty drizzle that closed in all around.

It was quite evident that the birds were well hidden, or had even left the area, as I found very little on my 4 hour visit, just a pitiful 36 species were seen, and actual numbers of birds were well down on previous visits as well. It really was one of the poorest patch walks this year! Such are the ups and downs of patchwatching, but it was made even more frustrating when I had a text message from a friend (cheers dave) to say he had seen a flock of Pink footed geese just go over, and may be headed my way - needless to say I missed them if they did!

The less said about todays visit the better. I decided to watch the garden feeders for an hour or two, I might just get a Brambling visit, or a Blackcap, but I really was clutching at straws for that extra species, and neither showed :-)

About 13:45 the cloud lifted and the sun made an appearance, so I was off out again for a skyscan at Migrant Alley, the 90 minutes I was out proved more interesting than the whole of the previous morning, I added the following 7 species to the daylist, GREYLAG and CANADA GOOSE, as well as 38 FIELDFARE, 2 STOCKDOVE, and 11 LAPWING, 3 LINNETS alighted in the tall hedge, and a GREY WAGTAIL was on the greenhouse roofs. Ther was also a bit of SKYLARK movement, and good numbers were seen, a flock of 24 went over, but two's and 3's went over continually whilst I was out, but that new species for the month eluded me!

So October ended on a Joint record tally with last year, the total of 68 is a very good effort, 4 more than the next nearest october total, achieved in 2007. The average October species total is 61, and the combined total for all octobers is now 85, after adding the 3 new ones seen this month, which were, Barnacle Goose, Golden Plover and that superb Black Redstart.

So what will November bring ? well it all starts again tomorrow, although saying that the weather looks to be very wet and very windy, we'll have to see! The target for November is 66, a very challenging one!

More early fog made for a difficult patch visit this morning. The fog did lift eventually, but cloudy conditions persisted throughout the day, with only short brighter spells.

I did a bit better than yesterday, at the halfway point of my walk I had recorded 36 species, compared to just 30 yesterday. However, nothing really stood out as noteworthy, WOODPIGEON movement was still going on, observed through a ''hole'' in the fog that was directly above my patch, a few small parties of REDWING were heard going over, but fewer FIELDFARE were seen. A SPARROWHAWK flew from cover as I walked across the college sports pitch, and a KESTREL was at its usual hunting area around the greenhouse complex. All that was expected was seen at Migrant Alley, LINNNETS, PIED WAGTAILS, MEADOW PIPITS, SKYLARKS, YELLLOWHAMMERS and the ROOK and JACKDAW flock.

As I began the second half of my walk, a RING NECKED PARAKEET flew over, calling noisily, this must be the same bird as recorded in recent visits. Whilst walking through the wet woods, noting NUTHATCH among the LONG TAILED TIT flock, I recieved a text from Amanda, who lives by the lake, she let me know there was a Ring neck parakeet on her feeders, I took it that it was the one I had seen flyover me earlier. When I got to the lake, it was again the domain of MALLARD and MOORHEN, not even a Heron today! I checked out the scrub and found BULLFINCH on brambles and SISKIN in Alders, then checked the feeders in Amanda's garden, no Parakeet, but as I scanned the surrounding tree's I found it, feeding on Ash keys, so there are two of them in the area. I tried to get a photo of it, and did get some, but it was too far away, and the light was poor. I watched it drop back down to the feeders, when whoosh, in comes the Sparrowhawk ( bloody plagued with the things round here!). It missed the parakeet, but I had to laugh to myself, as the parakeet screamed off into the distance - wont see that again!

A further visit to migrant alley, for a skywatch, gave me BLACK HEADED GULL and HERRING GULL, another (or the same ? ) Sparrowhawk and a couple of STOCK DOVES. I called it a day after being out for 5 hours, but I added GREY WAGTAIL to the day list, as it flew over and alighted on a house roof, and bird of the day was added as I reached home, a COMMON BUZZARD, soaring low over my house.

47 species were recorded in the 5 hours, and two more added from the window whilst eating lunch, the MARSH TIT, at my feeders and a flock of 17 LAPWING that flew over.

So still no new species for the month, depite seeing some scarce birds - for my patch! Lapwing, Marsh Tit, Common buzzard, Grey Wagtail, Siskin and Parakeet, are all good October birds.

Above and below: More foggy pics.

Below is a GOLDFINCH on my feeder, whilst watching the garden today I had a visit from the first Siskin to venture on to the feeders this Autumn.

below is the Ring Necked Parakeet. I don't think it will be seen again after its encounter with the Sparrowhawk.

This mornings visit turned from a disappointing this.....

Into a glorious this.........

....................................Red Admiral......................

The early fog burnt of by 11:30, leaving a sunny and unseasonbly warm day. However the dense fog meant the best part of the day was a bit of a waste of time. By the time I had walked the first part of my patch I had recorded just 30 species! The 30th being a COLLARED DOVE, thats how slow it was.

As the fog started to lift, so i found a few more birds, I had some cracking close up views of both TREECREEPER and GOLDCREST in the wet woods, and again in the Lakeside scrub, but it was just too dull to get any pics. A KINGFISHER broke the mononity of seeing just MALLARD, MOORHEN and GREY HERON on the Lake, a few BULLFINCH, and SISKIN were seen around the scrub, and with the clearing skies, both CANADA and GREYLAG GOOSE were seen flying over - padding out the list to a more respectable 42.

I had time to revisit Migrant Alley for a bit of skywatching, and I took my usual seat by the tall hedge, where it was warm enough just to sit in a tee shirt, not an awful lot was seen though, a KESTREL, and a SPARROWHAWK, several groups of FIELDFARE and REDWING, a few MEADOW PIPITS, the odd YELLOWHAMMER and a single LESSER REDPOLL that alighted atop the tall hedge, but flew off before I could get a photo!

The morning ended on 45 species, 3 less than yesterday, but not a bad total for october, but that one more new species for the months list still eludes me - just 2 days left now and I fear more fog tomorrow morning. :-(

This Fieldfare settled down in the tall hedge, and unlike the Redpoll, it gave me a chance of a photograph.