My two hour patch visit this morning from 08:30hrs, was a pretty standard affair, the weather remained overcast and dull throughout, but it was virtually windless, allowing me to pick out the calls of TREECREEPER, NUTHATCH, COAL TIT, GOLDCREST, and BULLFINCH that were heard over at the Scrubby Woods. It was here the only addition was made to the November species tally when I flushed up a SPARROWHAWK (48) that was feeding on a WOODPIGEON, by the looks of the Woodpigeon the Sprawk had enjoyed a good breakfast!
On the lakes today there were 14 MALLARD and the MUTE SWAN pair, as well as a few more MOORHENS than have been seen in recent visits, a single male MANDARIN DUCK was just about recognisable, concealed as it was in the overhanging bankside trees, and for the first time in weeks the Kingfisher wasn't seen or heard.
A short time was spent over at the Greenhouse Grounds, where I restocked the track with seed, here I saw a couple of SISKIN with the GOLDFINCH flock that was finishing up the seed I put down yesterday, also with those were 5 CHAFFINCH, a GREENFINCH, 2 DUNNOCK, 2 ROBIN, a BLACKBIRD, 6 BLUE TIT and 2 GREAT TIT.
The female KESTREL sat on the greenhouse roof, where it was mobbed by a couple of PIED WAGTAILS, as I watched that, a MEADOW PIPIT, then a SKYLARK flew over heading north, and a flock of at least 25 BLACK HEADED GULLS wheeled high above me.
Another short visit tomorrow, as the building work at my house continues to eat into my time, but hopefully i'll find a couple more new species for the month, Grey Heron and Little Owl are favourite, they would take me to 50 species, but I think the record December tally of 72 species that was achieved in 2010 is going to be a record that stands for quite some time !
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