One of the local PEREGRINE FALCONS flew over my patch as I walked to work this morning. It made a sortie over migrant alley, then flew off SE, putting up a big corvid flock in the process, good to get it on the October list.
The cloud and rain were back today for my afternoon patch visit, which proved uneventful. The Stonechats seem to have moved on, but there were a few other bits and pieces about. 18 MEADOW PIPITS were hiding amongst the longer grass, in one of the horse paddocks, they flew up reluctantly, 2-3 at a time ''seep seeping'' before coming to rest again.
I watched a KESTREL ''chase'' a GREENWOODPECKER, the woodpecker could hardly be bothered to avoid the diminutive falcon, it knew it was no real threat, and just flew a few feet on to a fence post. The Kestrel landed above the woodpecker and made a couple of false lunges, but the woodpecker didn't even flinch! In the end two MAGPIES put an end to the Kestrels embarrassment, and chased it off.
I walked a circuit of Migrant Alley and a circuit of the sports pitch at the college, the latter held more birds today, including 80 STARLINGS, 20 PIED WAGTAILS, around 30 LINNETS, a MISTLE THRUSH and a GOLDFINCH. By 15:00 the sky had gone a very leaden grey colour and the first spits of rain started to fall, and 20mins later it started raining proper, bringing my visit to a end after only an hour. Its meant to rain all evening and night now, lets hope it clears for the morning!
Octobers list sits at just 55 so far, a long way behind the 68 record Oct total, achieved last year.
4 comments:
Hi Warren,
Well, you still have the week end and more than3/4 of October... So I guess it is not that far....
me, I'm gonna stay home, we have a big storm, hurricane stage 1 around Reykjavík... So I guess pretty useless to go birding! Have a nice week end.
The birds are few and far between here in Ohio where I live. There were many more here last summer and fall. We do have a flock of sparrows this year though.
...we're still fairly early in the month, I have hope for you. I'll keep my fingers crossed too!
I had to laugh at the Magpies 'putting an end to the Kestrel's embarrassment'!
Miserable weather here too yesterday! I think most of us will have better weather today though.
You still have time to equal or beat your record Warren and I know you will have fun trying ;)
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