I just about got a ninety minute patch visit in this morning, I started off by visiting the woods and lakes first, hoping for a bit of shelter from the rain, but got soaked anyway. Very little was noted, just MALLARD and MOORHENS on the lakes, a few GOLDCRESTS in the Scrubby Woods, where a LONG TAILED TIT flock was also found.
A few MEADOW PIPITS were heard as I squelched across the long pasture at the Ashes Lane Fields, then, reaching the Greenhouse Grounds I checked the Alder Trees, where the SISKIN, GOLDFINCH and LESSER REDPOLLS fed as usual, not seeming to mind the rain.
I scanned the paddocks and pasture at Migrant Alley, finding a group of HERRING and BLACK HEADED GULLS present, about 20 of each, but as i scanned the Black Headed Gulls for a possible Med Gull, I saw a LESSER BLACK BACKED GULL (71) fly in to join the flock, something at least for the October list on a miserable visit, about time this species got onto the months list! Now can I find 3 more new species for the month to reach the mean total achieved in the previous 5 Octobers ?
Blog brighteners for today come from yesterdays session at my garden feeders.............
GREENFINCH
4 comments:
That background shouldn't work with a green bird but it does work nicely. Slightly better weather tomorrow I think.
I thought that Marc,
You would think the Greenfinch would get lost in the background. Good to experiment though :-)
Absolutely stunning pictures as always Warren!
Out of interest do you ever notice any of the red fleshy remains of rose hips on the Greenfinches you see? At this time of year Greenfinches really fascinate me as at my coastal ringing and vis site I get very few flying over on vis. However when I use an MP3 playback of their song to catch them for ringing they literally drop out of the sky and a good number of the birds I ring have the remains of rose hip flesh on their bills. Up here at least it would seem that rose hips are a good source of food for this autumnal migrant Greenfinches.
Cheers,
Seumus
Seumus,
Yes, I do quite often see the remains of Rose hips on the Greenfinches bills, I also see Blackberry / Elderberry staining during August / September, it also stains there facial feathers !
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