Thursday 7 February 2013

It was almost light as I walked to work at 07:00hrs this morning, so I was surprised to hear my first TAWNY OWL (51) of the month hooting in the distance, sounding like it came from over at the lake area. By the time I reached the College grounds the sky was clear, bright and blue giving incentive for the likes of TREECREEPER, CHAFFINCH, SONGTHRUSH and MISTLE THRUSH to start singing, shame I had to get to work, but that wont be the case in another seven weeks  :-)

By the time I left work the clouds had rolled in, but at least it wasn't windy today!  My visit to the lakes varied from yesterday only in the fact that 2 CANADA GEESE had joined the 6 MALLARD, 4 MOORHEN and the COOT pair on the water. The adjacent Scrubby Woods was a bit livelier this afternoon, with the likes of COAL TIT, LONG TAILED TIT, SISKIN, BULLFINCH and Treecreeper being found along with the more regular stuff.

Nothing but a couple more Mallard and a GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER were seen in the Wet Woods, So I moved on to the Tree Nursery, where 2 Songthrush, 5 REDWING, and two GREEN WOODPECKERS were about the best species seen, no Kestrels today.

I finished up with a look around the Greenhouse Grounds, where I found 3 LESSER REDPOLL (52) feeding in the line of Alders there, with them were seven Siskin. A LITTLE OWL called from a large garden nearby, then 24 FIELDFARE flew over, alighting in the sheep pasture at Migrant Alley, joining 37 STARLINGS and a single COMMON GULL that were already there.

Things are looking up a bit from recent visits :-)  The February list moves on to 52, and is now in joint last position with the February list of 2003, but back in those days only weekend patch visits were possible.

No photo's at all were taken today, and all thats left in the ''blog photo folder'' are these two Green Woodpecker images, so scroll down no further if your fed up with seeing them  LoL  :-)

7 comments:

ShySongbird said...

Hi Warren :-) Can't get too many photos of old Woody and they are lovely images. Do you get time off during half term next week, that's if it is half term there?

Jason K said...

Superb Green Wood close ups mate!

Warren Baker said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Warren Baker said...

Songbird,
Half term is the week after next, and i'll take a couple of days off :-)

Marianne said...

Wow, stunning shots of the Green Woodie, looks like he was about 10cm away! Good to see the year list creeping up :)

Warren Baker said...

Thanks marianne :-)
It was 3 meters away, but I had my 150-500mm lens on the camera.

Alan Pavey said...

It was a beautiful morning, I still need Tawny Owl, just got to get up earlier!! or stay up later?