Saturday 27 September 2014

This morning it was dull and overcast, without a breath of wind, ideal for spotting and hearing flyovers!

They were a few flyovers too, I saw and heard both REED BUNTING and YELLOW WAGTAIL go over as I walked a circuit of Migrant Alley, where the 100+ MEADOW PIPITS were on the sheep pasture. A GREY WAGTAIL also flew over calling, dropping down into the Greenhouse Grounds eventually, the skein of 10 CANADA GEESE, then a pair of CORMORANTS were a bit easier to pick out against the grey sky.

A CHIFFCHAFF sang from the hedgerow at the Pub Field, it was joined by a few CHAFFINCH and HOUSE SPARROWS. Three BLACK HEADED GULLS flew over the Ashes Lane Field, as did a HERRING GULL, but nothing was on the drainage ditch fence line today.

The Wet Woods and Scrubby Woods were given a good searching, in particular I gave a good look at the GOLDRESTS that I found, just in case one was a Firecrest! TREECREEPER, NUTHATCH, COAL TIT, JAY, GREAT SPOTTED and GREEN WOODPECKERS, BULLFINCH and two more Chiffchaffs were all found.

The lakes were again their usual quiet self, but 5 MALLARDS had at least joined the MUTE SWAN family, COOT and MOORHENS today!

I spent 2 hours back on my seat at Migrant Alley, watching the sky and listening, as usual I found KESTREL and SPARROWHAWK easily enough, but it wasn't until almost mid day that I recorded BUZZARD, two of which flew over the Wet Woods. Small parties of HOUSE MARTINS and SWALLOWS flew over and SKYLARKS were on the move, with 3, 12 and another 3 seen flying NW. A LITTLE OWL called from the Greenhouse Copse, and a Goldcrest was calling from the hedgerow of the Greenhouse Grounds behind my seat, which I checked out just in case  :-)

With the lack of light this morning, my camera stayed at home, but whilst I was watching my garden this afternoon hoping for the Firecrest to return, which it didn't, I had another close encounter with the Sparrowhawk, so I had to get some sort of image of it, despite the light  :-)  I also noted two Goldcrest and two Chiffchaffs around the place.

Sparrowhawk 





Chiffchaff


6 comments:

Phil said...

Some great shots of your old arch enemy the Sparrowhawk Warren.
Hope to get back to some blogging myself soon!

Warren Baker said...

Phil
Ive taken most of my feeders down now, I'm trying to deter so many finches from coming in :-(

Ken. said...

Warren.
I agree with Phil, love the shots of the Sparrowhawk, especially the eye detail.
I am having such a quiet time here, can you send over some of your finches?

Pete Woodruff said...

Warren....Don't ask me how, but I missed your Mondays post and the brilliant Stonechat record. I was as chuffed as you was about this one I assure you....well almost!

Warren Baker said...

Ken,
The Sprawk has scared most of them off mate!

Warren Baker said...

C'mon Pete, Keep up!!