It was pretty hard going during the 4 hour visit, when I struggled to get 44 species in my notebook, the first dozen species of STARLING, JACKDAW, MAGPIE, ROBIN, WOODPIGEON, BLACKBIRD, BLUE TIT, CHIFFCHAFF, LITTLE OWL, KESTREL, CARRION CROW, and GOLDCREST all turned up as I walked to the Greenhouse Grounds via Ashes lane, but only GREENFINCH, CHAFFINCH, WREN and DUNNOCK were added to the list from the habitat at Greenhouse Grounds and copse, although a single LINNET and 3 SISKIN flew over whilst I was there.
A circuit of Migrant Alley and a look over the arable Fields, produced mainly flyovers, those being PIED WAGTAIL, MEADOW PIPIT, SKYLARK, and BLACK HEADED GULL, the ROOKS being the only bird on the ground to add to the mornings list.
I made my way to the Pub Field next, where in the Stubbles there a couple of PHEASANT were found, the hedgerow that borders the field had a few HOUSE SPARROWS, and a couple of GREAT TITS, while the flyover COLLARED DOVE brought the October list to a measly 27 at that point.
Making my way to the Wet Woods via the Ashes lane Field, a GREEN WOODPECKER flew up from the grass field, and a JAY flew from an adjacent large garden heading for the Wet woods, where I only added a GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER to the new months tally.
The Scrubby Woods and Lake area was a bit more productive, incrementing the list with MOORHEN, MALLARD, GREY HERON, COAL TIT, BULLFINCH, NUTHATCH, SONGTHRUSH, GOLDFINCH and MISTLETHRUSH.
I walked back through the Wet Woods, then the Small Holding, and along High House Lane, which is half an hours slow walk, and added absolutely nothing to the months list, incredible! Ending up with a sky watch from my seat back over at Migrant alley did get STOCK DOVE, SPARROWHAWK and BUZZARD on to the list, plus the final two species of HOUSE MARTIN and SWALLOW, of which there was quite a bit of passage noted, with hundreds of birds passing through in the hour I sat watching.
So, 44 species to kick off the October list, thats 33 less than the best October tally, set back in 2010, thats gonna be hard to beat! The mean average tally for the previous five Octobers is 71, even that could be challenging :-)
Very little for the camera today, in some poor light, but I got some grainy record shots of the Buzzard and a Chiffchaff.
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| Buzzard |
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| Chiffchaff |
4 comments:
Hundreds of hirundines passing through the Medway valley at West Farleigh and Wateringbury as well Warren.
Should be winter thrushes any time now to add to your October list.
Phil, Looking at my average arrival dates for winter thrushes, the first should be here by next week :-)
'Hard going during the 4 hour visit, when I struggled to get 44 species in my notebook'.
Enthusiasm and determination, that's your trademark Warren.
I wish my record shots were as good as yours Warren! My record shots really are record shots!
Cheers,
Seumus
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