Well after the weekends exciting finds and long bird lists, I came down to earth with a solid bump this afternoon! After walking home from work in very warm bright conditions, it all changed almost as soon as I left the house, the dark cloud rolled in, and a cool breeze got up, which was annoying as I had only gone out in a tee-shirt.
A brief forage around the tree nursery boundary for butterflies, only turned up Meadow Brown, they are everywhere at the moment, sun or not! Whilst I was there a large female SPARROWHAWK came over low, it circled above the greenhouses attracting the local PIED WAGTAIL and SWALLOW population, which seemed to revel in the game of ''mob the hawk'', they won of course and the Sparrowhawk wandered off.
I went over to my seat at Migrant alley, and sat in the wind for 40 mins, watching the fields and sky. A BLACK HEADED GULL went over - the first for a couple of weeks, as did a couple of LESSER BLACK BACKED GULLS and a group of 6 HERRING GULLS. A KESTREL came in from the south, and started hunting around the Greenhouses, its usual hunting place. On the fields and paddocks there were LINNETS, a few GOLDFINCH'S, two SKYLARKS that took turns in singing, and also the usual WOOD PIGEON and corvid mix. The only bright spot of the afternoon was when 3 LAPWING flew over, the first this month, it's been a while since I added a species to the months list, which still lies 4 behind the best ever June total of 67, i've got just 8 days to beat it!
6 comments:
Warren ,
Exactly the same for finds and weather at my end .
It was just as if someone had turned the tap off .
Hi Warren,
I guess you are most of the time really brave to go out in these weather conditions. I'm starting to give up now!!! I guess that one week is more than enough to get your june record... Let cross the fingers!
At least you mortal like the rest of us and don't always get mega days Warren. At least you got out. It was lovely at Dunge today!
We seem to be promised decent weather every day but it never quite materialises, windy and dull just about sums it up and yesterday was horribly humid.
I always think it is fascinating how the smaller birds stand up to, and try to deter, their potential predators. Why does the raptor never turn on its pursuers and 'pick them off'? Excuse me if that is a naive question but I do find it intriguing behaviour.
Hi Warren. Shame your day wasn't better. Still, not a bad day considering. 4 species in 8 days, I think you will do it.Good luck.
Songbird.
The raptors generally need some element of surprise to catch a meal. All the mobbing alerts everything to the predators presence. If the predator concentrates on attacking one ''mobber'' it risks being pecked by others. The best thing the predator can do is leave - and sneak back later!
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