Tuesday 4 May 2010

An update from last night, LITTLE OWL (56) was added to the months list, one was heard calling from the large gardens to the back of my house.

A cold wind, and mostly cloudy sky greeted me on my afternoon stroll over to the lakeside scrub, where birdsong had dropped off markedly, even for an afternoon the amount of birds singing was very poor. Just one CHIFFCHAFF two BLACKCAPS and a single TURTLE DOVE gave some short lived attempts at singing. GREAT TIT, ROBIN and WREN made some noise, but the likes of Cuckoo, Lesser and Common Whitethroat, and Garden warbler all went unrecorded.

On the lake a pair of CANADA GEESE had hatched out at least 3 young on the small island, but apart from 3 male MALLARD and a MOORHEN the water was empty. After an hour I decided to walk back through Marchants field and the Tree Nursery, to get to Migrant Alley, but very little was noted, GREEN WOODPECKER, JAY, and LINNET were about the best!

The sheep pasture and paddocks at Migrant Alley had ROOKS, JACKDAWS, WOODPIGEONS and PIED WAGTAILS feeding on them, a pair of YELLOWHAMMERS flew across and alighted in one of the new hedgerows, and more Linnets with a few GOLDFINCH fed on some dandelion seed heads growing along the footpath. A 45 minute skywatch from my seat produced absolutely nothing, and I mean nothing! All I saw were the local SWALLOWS and two SWIFTS feeding low over the sheep pasture. I dont expect much on my afternoon visits, its not the best time of day to see birds, but today was particularly bad, I blame the cold wind and dull conditions :-)


Above is a Chiffchaff, seen in the scrub. Below is a Great Tit also seen in the scrub

Below is one of the canada Goose parents, keeping a beady eye on me, the goslings were too far away to photograph.




10 comments:

ShySongbird said...

I wish I could have done as well with the Chiffchaff as you did, Warren!

Your mention of afternoon visits confirms what I have always thought regarding you seeing so many more birds than I do. I'm not able to get out for walks or trips in the mornings (well only rarely, at the weekends perhaps).

By the way, so far so good! I think the new filter may have made a difference...famous last words!

Derek Faulkner said...

Warren,

I'm surprised at your weather being dull, here on Sheppey since 3.00 we've had unbroken sunshine and its still a beautiful evening.

Warren Baker said...

Derek, I could see the clear sky to the east of me, but it didn't get here till gone 5 :-(

Steve said...

Nice Chiffy pic Warren.

Kerry said...

Been bitterly cold here as well today and this evening it looks like rain. Bring back spring!

Phil said...

Hi Warren. I think things will get much better when the b****y weather improves. Nice Chiffchaff btw.

Pete Woodruff said...

Yes, the topic as ever is the weather and here in't north I've been in the Forest of Bowland today and it simply never gets any warmer, in fact in the shade and out of the sun its still a bloody cold wind.

Keep up the good work Warren.

Kelly said...

...I saw an owl today too. I rarely see him (a Barred Owl), usually only hearing him. What a special sight! (I'll try to keep quiet about it, but it was gorgeous here today....sunny and mild...the perfect spring day.)

Anonymous said...

Still ahead of me i see, Warren. I reckon it might stay that way, this month.

Like you, i`m getting peeved off with these northerlies.

Steve said...

What a great record! Well done Warren.