Friday 7 October 2011

This morning, as I passed through Migrant Alley on the way to work, I just about manged to find three of the eight Wheatear in the dim pre dawn light, also a HOUSE MARTIN flew low over, and as I passed through the College Grounds my first SISKIN (59) of the month was heard calling as it flew over.

On the Walk home again, I could see that there were in fact 6 Wheatears still left from yesterdays 8, remarkable!

Once i'd eaten lunch, I had a quick visit round Migrant Alley, the Pub Field and Tree Nursery, it was quick too, as I only had time for just over an hour, but a few nice birds were seen all the same. The Wheatears proved too distant to photograph today, as did the LINNETS, the flock of 200 STARLINGS were still feeding in the sheep pasture, along with a mixed flock of corvids, numbering over 300, these mostly bring ROOKS. A BUZZARD flew low over and appeared to alight into the Greenhouse Copse - not often the come down on my patch :-)

The Pub Field had a few WOODPIGEON on it with around 30 BLACK HEADED GULLS and 8 HERRING GULLS, whilst the Tree Nursery was much the same as yesterday, with the LONG TAILED TIT flock still doing the rounds, and the CHIFFCHAFF tagging along, three GREEN WOODPECKERS were also feeding among the lines of shrubs.

A 20 minute sky watch back at Migrant Alley gave me views of both KESTREL and SPARROWHAWK, but sighting of the day goes to the two FIELDFARE (60) that flew over, my first of the Autumn and the earliest ever by 3 days, the mean arrival date for Fieldfare over the ten years is 17 Oct.

All looks set for an Autumnal full patch walk in the morning !  :-)

PS I'm still unable to comment on most of the blogs I follow  :-(

The only bird to get on the camera this afternoon was this Immature Herring Gull

8 comments:

Lancs and Lakes Outback Adventure Wildlife Safaris said...

No fieldfares here yet Warren. Nice one

Cheers

Davo

Jason K said...

That a great record of Fieldfare Warren...a relly good patch date

Bob Bushell said...

Oh, the Fieldfare already. I hope that they are on there way to us.

Rohrerbot said...

I love this shot. Nice record keeping.

Anonymous said...

Well done with the Fieldfare, Warren. Not very often they turn up before the Redwings.

Bengts fotoblogg said...

Great shot, very nice.

eileeninmd said...

Great post and an awesome photo!

Alan Pavey said...

Nice to get the first Fieldfares of autumn, I usually get Redwings first.