Wednesday 31 August 2011

Once again as I walked across Migrant Alley on the way into work, I found another WHEATEAR ( or the same one as yesterday) also a COMMON BUZZARD came low over, no sign of any Yellow Wagtails today though.

I was looking forward to crossing Migrant Alley on the way home from work, to see what may have dropped in, but alas, it had turned into ''dog Alley'' as one of the stable girls walked a pack of six dogs around the paddocks.

I returned after i'd had something to eat, but things got worse, more stable girls with dogs bounding all over the place, and then two more dog walkers from the nearby dog grooming school let their dogs loose on the fields, obviously nothing was seen, so i headed off to the lake and scrub area. Here, I sat and watched the Elder and Blackberry bushes, after establishing that nothing was on the lake, not even a Moorhen!

I saw a few BLACKCAPS, CHIFFCHAFFS, BULLFINCH'S, CHAFFINCH'S, GREENFINCH'S and the BLACKBIRDS all gobbling down the berries, but nothing really of note, it's not quite the same here in the afternoons. However, just as I was going to leave, a surprise was heard, the 'hoot' of a TAWNY OWL (75) one more for the months list!

So the shortened and disturbed last visit of the month ( although I may try Migrant Alley again this evening) did produce something of note, the Tawny Owl took this Augusts total to 75, the second highest August total for the ten years, just 3 behind the record tally achieved last year. I thought maybe I would have a chance of beating that total, with the 5 species recorded this August that weren't on last Augusts list, those being Redstart, Stonechat, Meadow Pipit, Green Sandpiper, and Barnacle Goose, but thats the way birding is, you just dont know whats going to turn up, or not!

The combined August list for the ten years now stands at 89, whilst the average number of species for this month 67, was easily passed :-)

The only photo's I took today were from the Garden. If you enlarge the photo, you can make out it's a bird born this year, with it's true blue head feathering just coming through :-)



I also found this moth on the back door, one for the Moffers out there to ID


11 comments:

Lancashire and Lakeland Outback Adventure Wildlife Safaris said...

75, not bad and a close run thing...your moth is a Common Carpet & no it won't eat your Axminster...

Cheers

Davo

Warren Baker said...

A Common Carpet eh Dave, i'll try and remember that, but i'm hopeless with moths!

Jason K said...

I think the moth is a Garden Carpet Warren...but I would like to hear what other folks think

Anonymous said...

Definitely a Garden Carpet, Warren.

Warren Baker said...

So it's two to one for a garden Carpet :-)

Warren Baker said...

Just googled garden carpet, and it fits the bill, back to the ID charts for Davo :-)

Ken. said...

Hi Warren.
Your moth photo is very good, also the young Blue Tits.
It sound as if you should have done dogwatching today, not birding.

Greenie said...

Warren ,
You'll notice I have waited till the moth had been IDd .
Another great month total , well done .
Re. the tree on mine , I think it is one of the Cypress family , but not Leylandii , there are several in surrounding gardens .

Bob Bushell said...

Nice Blue Tit sitting there on its way home, and what a beauty, the Moth.

Marc Heath said...

Nice Tawny Owl. Now that would be a MEGA at Reculver!

Anonymous said...

Warren ,
You'll notice I have waited till the moth had been IDd .
Another great month total , well done .
Re. the tree on mine , I think it is one of the Cypress family , but not Leylandii , there are several in surrounding gardens .
thanks
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