Sunday 23 August 2009

Only a short 90 minute walk around the Maize, paddocks, and sheep pasture at Migrant alley was had today. I needed to be back home for 08:30 as the good wife and I were going out with friends.

Initially all was quiet, but things picked up a bit once the sun warmed the chill, damp, Autumnal air. A lone TURTLE DOVE flew low and fast in a southerly direction, off it goes to Africa, lets hope it can dodge the continental mad-men and their guns. This may be the last record of Turtle Dove this year, the mean last sighting date is the 22 Aug, but the latest ever sighting is the 1st Sept.

A walk round the maize provided me with the usual fare of SKYLARK, LINNET, and the odd PIED WAGTAIL, most of the latter were still in the greenhouses waiting for the automatic roof windows to open, stupid bird-brains cant work out that some of the side windows have now been removed to add more ventilation, so they could get out if they looked!

I scanned the horse paddocks and was pleased to see two YELLOW WAGTAILS feeding right up around the horses hooves collecting the distubed insects, it's been a very good month for Yellow Wags. I was looking all the time for Wheatears and Whinchats, but none of these scarce passage migrants were seen today.

Back round the maize and off towards home, I was in time to see the Pied wagtails leave their overnight glass prison, I counted at least 110, plus another two Yellow Wags that must have roosted with them.

Back to work tomorrow, so its a return to the less productive afternoon visits.

Below is a GOLDFINCH taking an early morning drink

This is a Male CHAFFINCH, taking in a bit of sunshine.


8 comments:

Phil and Mandy said...

lovely chaffinch photo warren. dave went to a nicepark in guildford today, still not blogged! phil

Anonymous said...

I agree, that's a bonny Chaffinch Warren.
Can't say I've tried Wagtail pie - an acquired taste I should imagine.

Chris said...

Hi Warren,
Wow you really got up early! Something I cannot do right now cause the weather is still bad... Not good time to go out for birds this week end. Hope for the best during the week.

Unknown said...

Great shot of the Chaffinch in the early morning light.

Tricia Ryder said...

I'm sorry you're having so much fog! Not nice stuff at all. Deadens the sound and obscures the views!

Nice to see a turtle dove though - I'm still waiting!

ShySongbird said...

It must be quite a sight to see that amount of birds leaving the greenhouses! We were out with a couple of friends yesterday and everyone apart from me could see what sounded like a Grey Wagtail across a small lake, it didn't matter how hard I looked through binoculars and camera, I just could not find it, so frustrating!
Lovely photo of the Chaffinch Warren.

Jann said...

Really nice bird shots...is the goldfinch a male? I think you or Sheila told me they're less colorful than the US goldfinches...

Warren Baker said...

Jann,
The Goldfich is in fact an Immature, it lacks the red facial colouring of the adult birds. yes your Goldfinch's are more colorful!