Tuesday 20 December 2011

Hooray! This morning was my last at work until the 4 January  :-)  That means plenty of birding until then. As it was the last day, I got home a bit earlier, allowing me a spell in the garden with the camera, but it soon clouded over and the only photo I got was of this NUTHATCH.

Nuthatch
A visit to the lakes a bit later proved disastrous, as just about everyone is off work now, the warmer weather tempting out just about every local dog walker, there were dog walkers everywhere  :-(  Not a single bird was seen on any of the lakes, not even a Moorhen. I quickly moved on, and visited the Pub Field, at least it was quieter here, allowing me to see at least 100 LAPWING, with 25 BLACK HEADED GULLS. After scanning the Lapwing flock, and finding no Golden Plover ( as usual!), I moved off to Migrant Alley, via the Tree Nursery, the latter had 10 MEADOW PIPITS, a couple of GREEN WOODPECKERS, a flyover SPARROWHAWK, plus the usual WRENS, DUNNOCKS, ROBINS, BLACKBIRDS, and MAGPIES.

At Migrant Alley, I saw a couple of SKYLARK drop down into the sheep pasture, whilst in the Alder trees bordering the Greenhouse Complex were a group of a dozen GOLDFINCH, with three SISKIN. Looking out across the paddocks there were around 150 WOODPIGEONS, 60 JACKDAWS, and at least 100 ROOKS,  25 STARLINGS lined up on a fence rail, and I heard a lone LESSER REDPOLL go over. I have befriended another Robin from the nearby tall hedge, it follows where I walk, and picks up any disturbed insects, at times it came so close my camera wouldn't focus on it  :-)

Friendly Robin
I had a short skywatch from my seat whilst at Migrant Alley, but the sky remained empty most of the time, just pigeons and Corvids going over, but after seeing the Lapwing flock get spooked up over at the pub filed, I scanned the sky around them and found a PEREGRINE (60), the first sighting of one this month, hopefully it is one of the local birds from the tower, and all the work going on there hasn't forced them to move elsewhere yet.

With 11 days left of the month ( and the year!) I hope to be out on full patch walks for most of them, and so add some species to the months list, which is still only in fifth place out of the ten Decembers recorded so far. Surely I'll find a Canada Goose, a species found in all previous months this year!

12 comments:

Lancashire and Lakeland Outback Adventure Wildlife Safaris said...

Nice nuthatch there Warren,
Good luck with the rest of the year 10 days left - loadsa time for some goodies!

Cheers

Davo

Rohrerbot said...

Have fun!! I know I have been enjoying it all. Yesterday was great but a bit cloudy. Today the sun is back so I hope to get some really nice bird shots....and maybe more? Enjoy this time. AND just a comment on the kids and dog walkers....I do like them, but while on QUIET walks to catch wildlife, they can be a major irritation:) Yesterday, I took a trail in a quiet and got so many lovely shots....returned to that spot and the birds were gone....frisbee tournament:(

Warren Baker said...

Rohrerbot,
It is a bit frustrating with so many dogs around, fine on a lead, not so good when they are charging around the habitats of the wildlife!!

I'm not expecting any frisbee tournaments though :-)

Anonymous said...

Can`t get anywhere near a Robin, me, Warren. They`re all too skitty.

Greenie said...

Warren ,
Robin must be related to the one in the hide at Sevenoaks .
He's landed on my lens before now .

Bob Bushell said...

The day wasn't good as far as I can tell, but for you, it did. The Nuthatch and the Robin makes me happy, brilliant photos.

Jason K said...

Breaking up for Christmas is always a great feeling mate...and getting a Peregrine on the same day too!

Ken. said...

Hi Warren.
Well with 11 days to go I know that you will be going all out to move that total on a bit more.
It is good to see that the Peregrines haven't been forced off of the tower.
Nice Nuthatch photo.

Alan Pavey said...

Lovely Robin photo Warren and I always enjoy seeing Peregrines :-)

Rohrerbot said...

Warren,
After I wrote responded to your post, I went for my hike today and I went up a mountain side that has a canyon below full of beautiful vistas and birds. People are annoying. They were shouting from the top and throwing rocks down over the trails that several of us were trying to walk down. You can physically watch the wildlife get pushed down into areas away from the morons. Then you wait 10 minutes in silence hoping no one shouts or screams or throws rocks creating a rock avalanche....and then the birds start making their noises again for me locate where they are hiding. Unbelievable how clueless some people are. Even worse how some parents let their kids do whatever they want without teaching them proper outdoor etiquette.

Warren Baker said...

Rohrerbot,
It seems people are the same the world over ( well, some of them!) The type of people you talk of appear here too, they dont respect each other, let alone the wild life :-(

Millhouse Photography said...

Happy holidays Warren! Look out birds! Cracking nuthatch shot there - I wish I got those little beauties.