Wednesday 24 August 2011

This morning the weather was dire, misty, drizzly and at times rainy, but there was at least, not a breath of wind :-)

Despite the conditions, there were still some good sightings to be had around the patch. At Migrant Alley I came across yet another WHINCHAT, i'm having an excellent Autumn for these brilliant little birds :-) Also at Migrant Alley, a SEDGE WARBLER was seen in one of the excuses for a hedgerow, the cover provided was barely adequate to conceal it, probably the reason I found it!

Three CORMORANTS flew over the Greenhouse Complex, where the KESTREL was hunting again, around the Tall hedge and Greenhouse scrub two WHITETHROATS and a few CHIFFCHAFFS were feeding on the berries.

Over at the lakes and Scrubby Woods, the water only held two MALLARD and a MOORHEN family, but the woods had come to life, with a mixed feeding flock made up of CHAFFINCH, BULLFINCH, BLUE TIT, GREAT TIT, COAL TIT, LONG TAILED TIT, NUTHATCH, TREECREEPER, more Chiffchaffs, and at least 6 BLACKCAPS, best bird seen with them was a GARDEN WARBLER.

The dreary conditions slowly cheered up, and by midday some sun was peering through the broken cloud, encouraging me to make another visit to Migrant Alley. I mainly went to try and see if the Whinchat was still around, so as to try for some photo's. On the way I stopped to photograph a Gatekeeper, and as I did so, a Painted Lady Butterfly flew past, only my second one this year. Moments later I heard the honking of a Goose, I looked up and saw a BARNACLE GOOSE (73) fly low over, no doubt the one that visits here on occasions, a bit of plastic months tick, but i'll take it :-)

After that bit of excitement :-) I walked round to the paddocks, where I quickly found the Whinchat, but it wouldn't allow any sort of approach, but as I looked at it through my bins, I noticed another bird further up on the fence line, a WHEATEAR! It dropped down on to the paddock, I followed it in my bins and saw another Wheatear, then another, and another still, four Wheatear!! Good job I visited Migrant Alley for a second time! I noticed one of the Wheatears was a cracking male bird, and as it was the nearest one to me, I crept up on him and took a few photo's, so much better looking than the dowdy immature birds ive been seeing so far :-) Just to top off the visit, a HOBBY and SPARROWHAWK performed SWALLOW hunting acrobatics over the sheep pasture.

So again, i'm afraid, its Wheatear photo's today, but they are the flavour of the month :-)



The Gate Keeper was a cracker too though :-)



9 comments:

Mike said...

Nice shots they are too :)

Jason K said...

Your cleaning up with those Wheatears at the mo Warren...thats a real good looking one today

Lancashire and Lakeland Outback Adventure Wildlife Safaris said...

Cracking chap that wheatear and a good gatekeeper too.

Cheers

Davo

Bob Bushell said...

We all should be a Wheatear lovers.

Greenie said...

Warren ,
Smart chap that , nicely balanced with the female Gatekeeper .
Tomorrow doesn't look good .

Marc Heath said...

Like a Wheatear and Whinchat haven at your place. Nice shots to go with the day.

Anonymous said...

Definitely having a good time of at the mo, Warren.
And i agree with the others, cracking pics, again.

Alan Pavey said...

Another good selection of stuff Warren and the Wheatears just keep coming, great stuff. Nice shots too. :-)

The Wessex Reiver said...

Very nice wheatears, I watched adults and young at the end of June on the Pennines, cracking little bird