Monday 15 August 2011

Back to work this morning, and as is nearly always the case the sun was shining and it was calm and warm, a morning not best spent at work!

However, the walk across Migrant Alley proved to interesting, when a YELLOW WAGTAIL called as it went over, then dropped down into one of the paddocks, a few minutes later it was joined by two more, great birds to have on the patch! I dragged myself away, and whilst walking through the College stables I heard an almighty racket - a GREEN WOODPECKER was screaming for all it was worth, I thought at first one of the pesky stable cats had got hold of it, but all was revealed when it came flashing past me being pursued by a female SPARROWHAWK, the Woody did manage to evade its pursuer in the end :-)

My walk back home was uneventful, nothing at all to be seen at migrant Alley, so after lunch I walked the Tree Nursery, this was quiet too, and I ended up photographing Butterflies ( which ill post tomorrow), only a CHAFFINCH, a DUNNOCK and another Green Woodpecker were seen.

As it was clouding over, I thought a skywatch over on my seat at Migrant Alley was in order, and in an hours vigil I had some good raptor sightings, 3 BUZZARDS were up together, a pair of HOBBIES chased the local SWALLOWS, and another Sparrowhawk hunted low over the hedges. I decided to give the paddocks one last try, and on reaching them, my first scan of the fence line revealed a lovely WHEATEAR, it must have dropped in in the last couple of hours! That wasn't the only bird to have dropped in though, as the Wheatear was then joine by a WHINCHAT, fantastic! A really good pair of passerine migrants, i'm glad I checked those paddocks again now :-)

I'm on a bit of a purple patch now, with Stonechat and Whinchat on consecutive days, a feat never achieved before, and I dare say wont be achieved again for a very long time !!

Below are a few of the photo's I took, the first 3 are of the Whinchat, the next two are of the Wheatear, the last is when I got lucky and they sat together ;-)
















11 comments:

Bob Bushell said...

Ah, I can see, two together. Good pictures. The one that inspired me, was the Wheatear by itself, awesome.

Warren Baker said...

Thanks Bob. I love the Wheatears :-)

Anonymous said...

Definitely on a roll, Warren. Great pics, too.

Jason K said...

Whinchat and Wheatear in the same shot! Now thats just greedy Warren ;-)

Lancashire and Lakeland Outback Adventure Wildlife Safaris said...

Purple patch indeed Warren - btw what does a yellow wagtail look like - I've forgotten!

Cheers

Davo

Warren Baker said...

Davo, No good asking me. The only yellow wags I get are the dowdy brown immature ones ;-)

Greenie said...

Warren ,
Well done with that double shot .
What next ?

Marc Heath said...

Send some my way please to Reculver, thats just being greedy!

Stringer said...

Superb Warren ! I love them chats, small turds my mate calls em, but I reckon that’s just a bit wrong....

You're certainly doing better for migrants down there than we are up here, not seen a wheatear for a while and I'd kill for a whinchat right now !

Paddocks often seem good for chats don’t they, I remember when I used to bird a patch in the midlands, the horse paddocks was always the area to check in hope of migrant chats or thrushes. It was the only place I ever saw ring ouzel or black redstart (saw just 1 of each over the years)....

Warren Baker said...

Reckon it's because of all the horse dung about, attracting all the flies Stringer, irresistable for a passing 'chat' :-)

Alan Pavey said...

Hi Warren, things really are on the move, great pics and two really good birds to have on your patch, especially at the same time :-)