Saturday 20 November 2010

Typical for a November day, it was grey, cold and bleak for this mornings patch visit, but still the SONGTHRUSH was heard singing loudly, the first bird of the 43 species seen today, these were hard fought for however, with long stretches of of my walk totally birdless.

The vast majority of the birds were seen around the Lakes and Scrub area, with most of the woodland species turning up, COAL, BLUE, GREAT and LONG TAILED TIT were feeding in a loose flock, and with them were NUTHATCH, TREECREEPER, GOLDCREST and GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER. Two SISKINS dropped in to the top of a Silver Birch tree whilst I watched the feeders of a nearby garden, where the only GREENFINCH for the day was recorded.

The grey sky was ideal for picking out flyovers - but there were few, two single REDPOLL and two YELLOWHAMMER were the only ones of note. Other sightings of some interest were the 64 BLACKHEADED GULLS on the College Sports Pitch, and a mixed group of Thrushes in the Tall Hedge at Migrant Alley, including FIELDFARE, REDWING, BLACKBIRD and SONGTHRUSH.

Most of the rest of the day was spent watching the garden feeders, where it was excellent to see 3 Great Spotted Woodpeckers together on various feeders, as well as the NUTHATCH, COAL TIT and a GOLDCREST, making up some of the 19 species that visited.

Not a good day for the camera, but I did try to get some photo's from the garden, below is the Coal Tit


And a male CHAFFINCH




9 comments:

Ken. said...

Hi Warren.
Some nice birds heard flying over, also a good mixture of thrushes.
Nice Coal Tit photo's, I just wish they was more numerous, and not so particular in where they dwell.

Marc Heath said...

With the cold weather forecast this week, its probably the best place to be, inside with ya cuppa watching the birds.

ShySongbird said...

'Grey, cold and bleak' just about sums up today here too Warren :(

Three GSWs, a Nuthatch and a Goldcrest all in the garden on the same day...sigh...;)

Derek Faulkner said...

Could swear I remember you saying that you prefer this time of year.
My section of the Harty Harrier Roost count late 'safternoon only produced 2 Marsh Harrier, 2 ring-tail Hen Harriers, 1 S.E. Owl and a Merlin. Mind you I was competing with a rough shoot alongside on the farmland, 2 Kent Wildfowlers on the saltings and a gamekeeper going round the reed beds on the farm spreading corn for duck shooting.

Bob Bushell said...

At least you got some pictures, which is what we all strive for.

Jason K said...

Your right about not being good weather for photos. I had my first Brambling of the winter on my patch today but all I could get was a few crappy record shots.

Chris said...

Well the weather was nice over here today but no chance to go birding.... You did very nice pictures and sighting despite the dull day...

Jann said...

That chaffinch has nice, interesting coloring...love that your coal tit has a white stripe down its head...our chickadee doesn't have that (in US). It's cold here too, back to normal early winter weather, ICK. ;o)

Kelly said...

...at least you were able to get some lovely photos of your garden birds. It seems harder than usual to adjust to the colder temps this year!!