Monday 5 December 2011

WOODPIGEON
I had some pleasant company for this afternoons patch visit, I'd had a request from a reader of this blog to see part of my patch, and so I showed him round a few places. Thanks for your company Grant, its always nice to chat to someone about photography and birds, especially when they are more knowledgeable than I !

We set off through the Small Holding, finding a KESTREL out hunting on the edge of the Wet Woods, and a GREEN WOODPECKER feeding on some windfall apples, a few CHAFFINCH had gathered in the old orchard and the second of four Green Woodpeckers seen this afternoon was on a large lawn of a nearby garden. Passing through the Wet Woods ( which are still dry, despite the recent rain!) all was rather quiet, we filled the gap chatting about birds and photography, until reaching the three water bodies, here we were not blessed with much to see, as it the case most of the time, just a few MALLARD and the odd MOORHEN. The feeders of a nearby house had a few visitors, that included a nice NUTHATCH, another was heard calling from the Scrubby Woods,but there was little else to keep us here.

We made our way back out through the Wet Woods and across to the Pub Field, an adjacent garden had a GOLDCREST calling from an apple tree, whilst at the Pub Field at least 80 LAPWING were feeding, along with 20 or so BLACK HEADED GULLS, we scanned them to try and find a Common gull to add to the months list, but none were found.


All was quite in the Tree Nursery, but two LESSER REDPOLLS flew over calling. We swiftly moved on to the Greenhouse Complex, seeing the two other Green Woodpeckers fly up, but apart from the usual WRENS and DUNNOCKS calling, it was all rather still and quite here as well, a stop off at my Sky watching seat at Migrant Alley for a chat and a look at the skyscape, only gave us a SPARROWHAWK going over, plus a few more Black Headed Gulls over on the sheep pasture. I 'd hoped to see a Canada or Greylag Goose fly over, to add to the December list, but none were seen today.

Despite not seeing much in particular, and adding nothing to the months list, it was an enjoyable walk this afternoon, and nice to have some company, thank you Grant! Next time we'll have to chat less and look a bit harder for those birds  ;-)

As well as the Woodpigeon at the top of the post I took the following garden bird photo's before going out this afternoon, just to brighten the page up!

Chaffinch

Chaffinch
BLUE TIT


4 comments:

Alan Pavey said...

Great pics Warren, we were very lucky yesterday, I replied to your comment but forgot we didn't see Kestrel or Kingfisher either!!

Warren Baker said...

Thanks Alan.

Doesn't look like the cold in the north is here to stay, limiting the chance of anything moving down to our areas :-(........but you seem to be doing ok! :-)

Jason K said...

Its good that you have c.80 Lapwing feeding on the deck at your patch Warren. I havent any at Shenstone for a couple of weeks now....Now send them back! ;-)

Warren Baker said...

Sorry jase, they're all mine ;-)