After spending nearly two days inside the house, I had to get out this morning, so around 11:00 I wrapped up warm and went for a walk along the lane to the Tree Nursery, its only 200m away so it could do no harm and the fresh air would help me feel better.
Whilst there, 6 PHEASANTS sneaked off into cover, a GREEN WOODPECKER flew out, and a KESTREL hunted over the far side of the field. The cool air felt so reviving, that my walk carried on, across Marchants field, where 14 MAGPIES were gathered, and above me a SPARROWHAWK was being mobbed by a CARRION CROW. I was nearly at the Lake and scrub area, so decided I would go and have a quick check of the water, which proved a most rewarding decision, for dabbling about with a couple of MALLARDS was a drake RED CRESTED POCHARD (131,106,72) a patch tick!!!! Well fortune certainly does favour the brave :-) . However it doesn't favour the lazy, i'd left my camera at home! This meant a 35 minute round trip to get the camera and photograph the new addition to my patch, and although it left me feeling pretty rough again, I think it was worth it :-)
Red Crested Pochard, the 131st bird for my patch, 106th for the year and 72nd for the month :-)As I walked home to get my camera I had another piece of fortune, this was more expected though, two FIELDFARE (73) flew low over, the first of the Autumn. They were expected to turn up soon, but this is still the second earliest date I have recorded them, their mean arrival date is the 19 Oct.
15 comments:
Nice find Warren and as i have done a few times in the valley, its feels oh so good to get a patch tick.
Cheers marc,
You're so right :-)
It'll keep me happy for the next few months........
Even on your sick bed (well, not on it as such but you know what i mean), you can pull a patch first out of the bag.
Well done Warren.
Blimey Warren I can't keep up lately!
You're now 22 in front of me for the month. If I had a sword i'd fall on it!
Well done with the new tick
Dean,
Everyone has a purple patch ( and barron ones!) I'll envy yours when it comes :-)
Phil,
Just keep getting out there :-)
Warren,
Nice photo of the Pochard, much better than the Still Life one of yesterday.
See you tomorrow night.
Warren ,
Well worth getting out of the sick bed for . Well done .
Still waiting for my first Winter Thrushes .
Wow! It really has been a good autumn on patch. Envious of the Fieldfares, hoped to get one today, but at least Redwing numbers increasing.
Adam
Glad you are feeling better than you were yesterday and I should think you feel even better after seeing the Red Crested Pochard and Fieldfares :) It's no good telling us you only ever see Mallards and Moorhens on the lake now! :)
Warren, you definitely deserved this one. Well done.
Songbird,
Something had turn up on that lake at some point :-)
Take care :-)
Hope that your feeling so much better! The Pochard is unique.
Wow well done on this pochard observation Warren.... I would be crazy if I could see one over here... 131 species on your patch, not bad, not bad at all... Still try to take care and not to go out too early ;-)
Hi Warren,
It certainly looks like the same bird as I saw on Saturday over at Barden Lake, Tonbridge - a male which I presume is coming out of eclipse plumage. They're right bobby-dazzlers aren't they!
See you later
Marcus
More great sightings Warren! Congrats on the pochard. The October record soars higher...
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