Another full patch walk was made, where a just about average 44 species was recorded, with no less than two of those being ticks for the year list :-) As expected, they were found on the now ice free lakes, when 4 CANADA GEESE (60) were finally added to the 2015 tally, with them was the BARNACLE GOOSE (61) not seen my old friend here since November! The icing on the cake was seeing a female GOOSANDER on the small lake, plus the COOT had reappeared again on the Ornamental lake :-) I took some distant record shots....................
Canada Goose - year tick :-)
The feral Barnacle Goose makes it onto the 2015 year list, it's 7th year!
Female Goosander
Just about everything turned out in the Scrubby Woods and Wet Woods, the best being GOLDCREST, NUTHATCH, TREECREEPER, BULLFINCH, COAL TIT, LONG TAILED TIT, JAY, STOCK DOVE, GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER and GREEN WOODPECKER. I spent quite some time trying to get a decent Treecreeper image, but they prove to be very difficult subjects, here's my best efforts!
Treecreeper
Treecreeper
Out on the farmland part of my patch were the 25+ MEADOW PIPITS that were on the Ashes Lane Fields, with those were the MISTLETHRUSH pair, 8 REDWINGS and 28 STARLING. The GREY WAGTAIL was at the Greenhouse Grounds today, but the KESTRELS weren't there, they were only added as I walked home, when the pair flew over high.
On the Sheep pasture and paddocks of Migrant Alley, the flocks of ROOKS, JACKDAWS, WOODPIGEONS and BLACK HEADED GULLS, with 2 COMMON GULLS, were flushed up into a swarming mass of 300+ birds, the culprit was a BUZZARD, which I watched get mobbed by the majority of the mass of birds, despite this, the Buzzard flew over and just nonchalantly pounced on a Woodpigeon, how the pigeon didn't see that coming I will never know!!! The Buzzard made the kill and sat on it, but was pestered so much it flew off, however 15 minutes later, when the field had cleared, it returned for it's prey :-)
A much better visit today then, with two species added to the year list, taking the 2015 tally up into 8th place out of 14. The January total of 61 is just one species below the 14 year January mean though, and 4 below the mean for the previous 5 January's.
5 comments:
Great to have the female Goosander around, I've just got to 61 on my 120 acre patch, not had the Barnacle Goose here yet though 😊
Surely that Barnacle Goose should go on the 'not wild list'. You're be counting chicken and turkey next. Nice Canada Goose shot.
Alan,
I'm sure it will turn up!
I need all the species I can get marc, counting my chickens is not an uncommon thing for me to do anyway!!
Think you got it right Marc, here on the Swale NNR we never record Pheasant or Redlegs because they're introduced each year and have even ignored budgie.
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