Wednesday 17 March 2010

Today was much more interesting than yesterday, especially first thing this morning as I walked to work. There were a few bits and pieces around Migrant Alley, a MEADOW PIPIT that alighted on a fence rail had me excited for a moment, I thought it may have been a Wheatear at first ! More interesting was a new species for the month, 3 LAPWING (64) flew up from the Sheep pasture, which is now populated with sheep and lambs.

2 GREYLAG GEESE flew over, and a SPARRROWHAWK chased a flock of FIELDFARE, before settling on a fence post for a rest. A dozen REDWING were feeding in the College Grounds still.

The walk home was also eventful, 4 Meadow Pipits were amongst the sheep with 3 PIED WAGTAILS, and along the boundary hedgerow I heard, then located, a female REED BUNTING (72, 65) calling, the first this year, this species is seldom seen on my patch, but in winter if there is a stubble field left unploughed, small numbers do appear, otherwise is is just recorded as a passage bird in the spring and autumn.

This afternoons Chiffchaff hunt was again negative, but they must be close now. I looked round the wet woods and scrub, and through the tree nursery, and round Migrant Alley, but they were not found. The resident TREECREEPER, COAL TIT, and GOLDCREST were all heard in song, LONG TAILED TITS were seen around the lake area, where 2 CANADA GEESE were on each of the 3 lakes, the Ornimental lake was home to the COOT again, back from hiding :-), but there was no sign of the second Coot seen on the main lake on Monday.

The months list moves on to a more respectable 65, just 4 behind last March's record total, whilst the 72 species for the year, is 9 below where it stood at the end of last March.


Back out from hiding the Coot, also a Canada Goose on the Ornimental lake


Below is a Lamb from Migrant alley, this will be the only photo of one, I promise!




8 comments:

Phil said...

Well done with the Reed Bunting Warren, that puts you one up on me for the year at the moment. I'm cooking lamb chops for dinner tonight, not sure I can eat them now!

Warren Baker said...

Eat as many as you can Phil. The pesky sheep eat all the new planted hedgerows!

Sharon said...

Hmmmmmmm mint sauce! ;-)

Ken. said...

Hi Warren.
Pleased you had a more intersting day today. Hopefully things will start to improve now.
Nice photo's, Baa the lamb

Forest the Bear said...

Nice to see that you still have the Redwings & Fieldfares around, they seem to have vacated my patch Warren.

I second Sharon's comment...a nice lamb stew with minted potatoes and peas...yum,yum!

Monika said...

Sounds like a great day's birding!

Aww, those lambs may be pesky but they sure are cute.

Anonymous said...

Two more for the month then, Warren. Well done.

Hope i get time to get onto the patch today. Especially after missing out yesterday.

ShySongbird said...

Well done on the Reed Bunting, Warren, it must be a great feeling to see something which is unusual to your patch. Nice to see the Spring Lamb also.

Aaargh!! I missed your last post (things are a bit up and down here as my surgery has been brought forward and is now being done on Saturday!) I look forward to eventual news from the 'pub field'.