Monday 5 January 2009

Back to work today, so no morning birding will be had until Saturday now, what am I going to miss out on ? On my way back home, I crossed Migrant Alley, and scanning the stubble and sheep pasture, for as long as I could hold out against the biting wind, I could see LAPWINGS spread out thinly, probably around 30 or so, with them were 50-60 BLACK HEADED GULLS, and a few ROOKS, JACKDAWS and 30-40 STARLINGS.
During my lunch, whilst looking out at the feeders, I saw 3 SISKINS feeding on the peanuts and sunflower hearts, number 20 for the garden feeder list ! last years list finished on 35, not bad for a 50 by 40 walled garden! Only a brief trip out to the lake, wet woods and tree nursery was had, because i was so flippin' cold! The lake was 100% ive covered, plus half an inch of snow, but a GREY HERON was still hoping to find some food. Six MALLARDS were huddled under some overhanging trees, but there wasn't a Mandarin duck, as i had hoped, this is the time of year I record them, but the ice is not helping. In the wet woods there were 3 GOLDCRESTS feeding together, along with a TREECREEPER, how do they keep the cold out? I walked into the tree nursery, not expecting much as there was a work party there. The only thing I did record there was ...........a WOODCOCK!! I had deliberately not walked where i flushed up yesterdays bird, I didn't want to keep disturbing it - if it was there, so I walked a different route. Todays bird could have been the same bird as yesterday, but it was 50-60 yards futher away. How typical, seven years it took me to record a woodcock on my patch, then I get one on consecutive days! walking back home, up ashes lane, I saw a KESTREL hunting around the greenhouse complex, but that was my lot for the day, I just couldn't hold out against that biting north wind.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Regards the Woodcock, Warren. That`s how things pan out. I was waiting 3 years for a patch Shoveler. Since the first bird, they`ve been recorded nearly every visit.

Adam said...

Similar story to Dean, I haven't had firecrest for near on 4 years and have to admit to 'chasing' after the ones reported at New Hythe and halling with no success...until yesterday when I got 2 within an hour of each other at New Hythe. 'Like buses' springs to mind!

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Ken. said...

Well done with the Woodcocks Warren.

Travis said...

good to catch up on your blog. Sorry I have been away for so long.