Friday 31 October 2008

Another month slips past, and the final walk round my patch didn't produce any great surprises. A KINGFISHER was seen at the lake, along with just 2 MALLARDS and a GREY HERON. There were 4 different parties of LONG TAILED TITS, on various parts of my patch, totalling 40+ birds, never seen so many! There were fewer birds at migrant alley, but one of the REEDBUNTING was still present, and a SPARROWHAWK again went over, along the stream behind the college, SISKIN fed in virtually every alder, along a 50m stretch. Winter thrushes were in evidence with the odd REDWING popping up here and there, and a flock of 33 went over, it was the same with FIELDFARE, ones and two's on my patch, but with small parties going over. 43 species were recorded on todays walk, with two more added from the garden later in the day, COAL and MARSH TIT.
So the final results for October were very pleasing, a patch tick, and the 100th species for the year reached, also an October record set, with 68 species recorded, easily beating last years previous high of 64, which I thought would be difficult to beat. The 7 year average for October is now 60 species, and the total species seen for all Octobers combined is 79.

If you look carefully at the above photo, you can see the sky is actually reflected in a puddle.

Yet another SPARROWHAWK, terrorising Migrant Alley!

2 comments:

This Is My Blog - fishing guy said...

Warren: Really neat sky photo and if you hadn't told, it would have looked like a shot through the trees at the sky. Loved your Sparrowhawk on wing photo.

Greenie said...

Warren ,
I take it the puddle shot was taken as you fell out of the pub at lunch time , and pressed the shutter mechanism as you landed .