Hardly worth a post today, I only got out for as long as it takes to walk to the lake turn around and walk back again ! The reason for the curtailed visit was the awful weather, just about everything that can fall from the sky did, rain, hail, sleet and snow all accompanied by a strong NW wind.
The expected species were seen in the expected places, a flock of some 25 mixed finch species were seen on the boundary of a large garden and the Small Holding, noisily calling amongst themselves whilst preening, they didn't seem to mind the weather at all! Nor did the flock of mixed Tit species, that were between the Wet Woods and the Small Holding, mostly LONG TAILED TITS, with a couple of TREECREEPERS, one of which flew from the trunk of a tree as I passed it, it flew just inches from my face.
GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKERS were in the Wet Woods, giving thier KEK! KEK! call, from the top most branches, and MOORHENS were seen on the pools of stagnant water below them. I didn't hang about long, and got over to the lake, where a GREY HERON flew up, but again nothing was on the water but two pairs of MALLARD. I scanned all the overhanging branches, just in case something was lurking there, but it wasn't, but one day it will be!!
As I was leaving for home, in a heavy rain/sleet shower a KESTREL was seen hunting over the scrub, probably the same one as yesterday, but I think it may be a different bird from the one that hunts around the Greenhouse Complex, I saw that one from my window when I got home. Only news from the garden is a male SISKIN that was seen there.
Well looking at the weather, it promises to be a cold, bright, frosty day for tomorrows full patch walk, lets hope it's not too frosty, I don't want the lake frozen over. Will I ever be satisfied :-)
7 comments:
we had four seasons per hour today too! Looks like more snow forecast for our bit of coast over the weekend
Snap - we also had sleety, snowy, rainy showers all afternoon in Ireland! Can't complain though, plenty of Long Tailed Tits at the feeders! Hope weather picks up for you tomorrow Warren.
We had a very cold, biting wind but thankfully nothing else. Nice that you are still seeing Siskins, none here but I did catch sight of an LTT in the garden today for the first time since last Spring.
Well this time, we got some sun, but we are getting cold temperatures... around -5°C... So nice sun but quite cold... Still managed to see 25 species today this time with the ring-billed and a little gull... 38 for sure now....
Let's hope for both of us that February will be a bit warmer ;-)
Hi Warren.
Shame that today wasn't very successful still tomorrow is another day. Good luck.
Have a nice weekend mate.
Not a good start to your post Warren 'Hardly worth a post today' but you do keep at it and good for you I say. Enjoy tomorrow on you 'full patch walk'.
Regards
Pete
Amazing what you still manage to turn up when it sounds like it's raining/sleeting/hailing/snowing sideways!
I hope it's more than a bit better for your full patch walk; I look forward to reading about it!
Post a Comment