More damp miserable weather today, and the gloomy conditions didnt seem to suit the wildlife on my patch at all. I had a walk around the Small holding, wet woods and lake/scrub area this afternoon, and honestly, it was dire!
Not a living thing was in the wet woods, well, ok I saw a squirrel but that was it! The small holding I passed through before the woods did have a few Tit species and a NUTHATCH, but that was the highlight for the day. :-(
The lake area and scrub produced just 5 MALLARD and a few MOORHENS, the odd wren and DUNNOCK, not much for my efforts, I may have well stayed in and watched the garden feeders, but before I left to go out I noticed the SPARROWHAWK was sitting in the large leylandi tree that straddles mine and the nieghbours garden, and not a bird was seen at the feeders while I ate lunch. I have gone from using 10 kg of sunflower hearts every week, to less than 1kg every two days since the Sparrowhawk came back.
I had a look back at the post for this day last year, and things were much the same. There was a lot more water about though! I also looked at the records for the arrival of Fieldfare on my patch, they show a mean arrival date of the 20th of Oct. With the earliest arrival date of the 10th, so it looks like Ive probably got another week at least to wait for these migrant thrushes to enliven my patch.
Once again it wasn't camera weather, but things are set to brighten up from thursday onwards - hopefully!
6 comments:
Hi Warren,
Yeh time of migration is not that precise, but it makes us wait.... Here it has snowed yesterday but everything melted today!
I've a very funny story to tell you... I reached 87 species without noticing it.. I'll write a message on it tomorrow. Well just to let you know the species, it is a red phalarope. They only breed on one island in Iceland and the breeding area is closed. I never thought I could see one here in Reykjavik but I did. For the complete story, which is quite funny, You will have to wait for tomorrow!!!
Warren ,
Dire was the right word for the last two days , and for tomorrow from the forecast .
That just leaves Thursday , hopefully , for a look around , before flying to New Zealand to visit our daughter and see our latest grandson , on Friday .
Yes dire is the word up here in the North too but sounds much improved tomorrow. At least you made a posting on your blog out of the day.
Don't know 'Greenie' other than a subscriber to you and Pittswood Birds Warren but......Bon Voyage mate.
We have had a wet day today too Warren.
The feeders here have emptied more quickly again in the last few days so hopefully our Sparrowhawk has gone elsewhere for a while.
Wet all round, by the sounds of it. But it never seems to put you off, Warren.
Warren: The weather has changed so fast over here also.
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