I failed the get to either the Greenhouse Grounds or Migrant Alley before the respective work crew and sheep farming gang arrived, if I had it would have been dark! Such is the way of it with the mornings not getting light until gone 7:00hrs. Just the mixed SISKIN and GOLDFINCH flock, of around 50 birds and the KESTREL were of any note at the Greenhouse Grounds, while at Migrant Alley only the CARRION CROWS remained on the sheep pasture and paddocks.
I soon headed off to the lakes, via the Ashes Lane Field, where a REDWING was seen flying over and a BUZZARD was heard calling from the nearby Wet Woods. On the lakes it was a little better than of late, with 5 MANDARIN DUCK, 4 MALLARDS, 4 MOORHEN and a CANADA GOOSE present, the pesky SPARROWHAWK flew through, but at least it flushed the KINGFISHER from its hiding place!
I spent some time around the lakes and nearby Scrubby Woods, finding NUTHATCH, TREECREEPER, GOLDCREST, COAL TIT, LONG TAILED TIT, BULLFINCH, GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER, GREEN WOODPECKER, JAY, STOCK DOVE and SONGTHRUSH, along with the regular common stuff, plus 8 more Canada Geese dropped on to the main lake, part of the large skeins that flew over just to the east of my position.
Walking back the way I'd come, across the Ashes Lane Fields, I noted there were now 8 MEADOW PIPITS on the silage fields and a GREY WAGTAIL flew over towards the lakes.
Not a single summer species was found this morning, maybe that's it for them now! Nothing new for the months list today either, which at 66 species is still 10 behind the record October tally, achieved in 2013, and 8 behind the mean average tally for the previous 5 Octobers. I should get a Lesser Black backed Gull yet, but anything else will be hard won, maybe a Reed Bunting at the Greenhouse Grounds or a Coot over on the lakes, the peregrine is due a visit this month too! I would hope for a Brambling at my garden feeders, but the Sprawk is keeping things away still, a GREAT TIT fell victim this afternoon :-(
No chance of photo's in todays light, so its back to the blog folder for todays images ;-)
Immature Goldfinch on the thistles at the Greenhouse Grounds
2 comments:
Pity the work crew and sheep farming gang are getting in the way of your birding. Sounds like especially the work crew problem is here to stay for a while until they've built whatever it is they're building, so not too much leaning on shovels I hope for your sake Warren.
Pete,
The Greenhouse Grounds work crew are a maintenance team, they are more active outside at this time of year, as most of the production of soft fruit inside the Greenhouses has finished. The bosses always find something for them to do!!
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