5 hours later, under a dull, uniformly dark grey sky, I left for a patch visit, heading straight to the fields and paddocks of Migrant Alley, here I once again found a WHINCHAT, this one was sharing the fence line with another WHEATEAR, I have now recorded Whinchat every day but two since the 22nd August! A single of both YELLOW and GREY WAGTAILS flew over as I did a circuit of Migrant Alley, also, a CORMORANT and a SPARROWHAWK flew over.
Looking through the Greenhouse Grounds I saw another, or possibly the same Whinchat as earlier, but warblers were only represented by one BLACKCAP and one CHIFFCHAFF. A LITTLE OWL called from the Greenhouse Copse as I left for the lake area.
On the lakes it was all very ''humdrum'' just the usual MUTE SWAN family, single COOT, a couple of MALLARDS and a dozen or so MOORHEN were seen. The adjacent Scrubby Woods was slightly livelier than yesterday, with two calling Chiffchaffs, and at least 4 Blackcaps. Of the scarcer woodland species, BULLFINCH, GOLDCREST and NUTHATCH were all heard, still no Songthrush for the month though!
I was soon heading back over to my sky watching seat at Migrant alley, via the Ashes lane Fields, over which two BUZZARDS flew, being hounded by the male KESTREL, but there was no Little Owl over in the Old shack today.
My sky watch was cut short by the arrival of the hedge destroying machine, I had no interest in sitting watching the already dilapidated, animal grazed hedges get a pasting from the ''tidy'' brigade, so reluctantly called it day, but as I did so a small bird flitted along the doomed boundary hedge bordering the greenhouse Grounds, it sat out on a branch and revealed itself to be an immature SPOTTED FLYCATCHER (66), I didn't think i'd get this species on the September list :-) I wonder if there will be any birds about tomorrow after the hedges have been failed ???
In the very poor light this morning no photo's were possible - not decent ones anyway! I've got a few I took yesterday for posting though :-)
Starling on the power line over Ashes lane
Canada Goose on the main lake
6 comments:
Back to work and not a sniff of any photos and a busy weekend looks like only a brief outing, not looking good. What's your seen and heard in bed list up to now?
Marc,
next week looks like a settled week, you might get a chance of an after work session :-)
Seen in bed list.....includes as well as Tawny Owl, such species as Peregrine and Egyptian Goose :-)
Warren.
Whinchats seem to like your patch at the moment. If there's one bird that a lot of birders would like to have around for while that is one of them, cracking little bird.
Love the picture of the Little Owl, they to are little crackers. Hope your still on target to set a new September record. Have a good weekend.
wonderful starling photo. too bad about the hedge trimming.
Hi Ken,
it's been a good year for Whinchat passage here, as you say, cracking little birds :-)
Thanks Wilma!!
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