Monday 7 September 2009

Yesterday evening I carried out my 'owl' watch from the back bedroom window, I needed just one more species to get 60 for the day for the first time ever. Well I listened from 20:00hrs until 20: 45hrs, but didn't hear on Owl...........I heard two! Yes!! A couple of LITTLE OWLS called for a few minutes, bringing me 60 species in a day, quite something on my patch, there have been some whole months in the past when i havn't seen 60 species, and the months list moves on by one!

Back to today, and back to work. As I walked in this morning, it was obviously to early for birds, nothing seems to be about until around 07:15. having said that I did hang about Migrant Alley for as long as I could without being late to unlock the School, and was rewarded with a flyover GREY WAGTAIL, another or the same went over just a minute or two later, the months list moves on to 68, 5 more species to beat the sept record!

I was out at 14:30hrs this afternoon, and had a skywatch session at Migrant Alley, the sky was a bit wierd today, a bank of cloud was to the west, and it was clear to the east, the dividing line was directly overhead, and I was on the sunny side, I was hot, and at times I longed for a piece of that cloud to come over! Anyway, I saw 3 HOBBIES came over, jousting and sparring with each other, and later in the visit another was seen. Two SPARROWHAWKS were about, and 5 Common Buzzards were up soaring, but to the NE of my patch. Another TURTLE DOVE was found on the fence rail of one of the paddocks, making it the latest ever seen, but apart from that it was the usual fare of PIED WAGTAILS, LINNETS, SKYLARKS and CORVIDS. I did see a BULLLFINCH and a CHIFFCHAFF in the scrubby headland at the north end of Migrant alley on a quick walk round though. I wonder what Migrants I missed while I was at work !


Above: One reason for not having a migrant Wheatear/whinchat on the fenceline was this Sparrowhawk!
Below is a ROOK, one of the 100 or so that hang about the paddocks daily.




9 comments:

ShySongbird said...

Well done with the Owls Warren. Those Sparrowhawks are certainly very impressive looking creatures, when I first saw one in our garden I wasn't too impressed with it taking 'my' birds but I couldn't help but admire its looks.

Chris said...

Hi Warren,
Congrats on the 60 yesterday... That is the max we can see here and if you want to see them in one day then you have to drive like crazy... The September record is not that far awat...

There is a ruff around Reykjavik and I'll try to see it tomorrow to get to 86 for the year.. Still miss the two guillemot species, I hope i'll have time to go at sea to see them!

Steve said...

Your lst is growing and growing Warren. Fantastic Sparrowhawk picture.

Ghost of Stringer said...

Hey Warren Congrats on the 60 !!

I like your yellow wag pic from the last post... they all seem to have the desire to be trampled or eaten by horses, must be a yellow wag thing... see below...

http://newtonstringer.blogspot.com/2009/08/low-newton-long-nanny-1st-aug-2009.html

Monika said...

60 - that's amazing! And for it to be a month tick too must be extra special. How many different owls have you seen/heard on your patch over the years?

Anonymous said...

68 for the month. Now slow down, Warren, and let me catch up ;-)

Warren Baker said...

Monika,
There have only been 3 Owls on my patch, Barn Owl - once, though it stayed for 6 months, Tawny owl, at least one pair live on my patch, but I rarely see them. The Little owl is the Other, it gets seen most months. I always live in hope of seeing a Long or short eared owl!

Jann said...

Wow, fabbie foto of the sparrowhawk! Just look at that sharp eye. Interesting fence too. Wonderful day you had, once again.

Kelly said...

...that Sparrowhawk is formidable looking indeed! I've never really seen a rook up close. Fascinating bill!