Friday 29 January 2016

In total contrast to yesterday, this morning was grey and gloomy, with spits of rain blowing through on a strong SW wind.

On a three hour patch visit, my quest to find a new species to add to the year / month list, again ended in failure, but I did find a few good patch birds in the process.

The lakes featured highly today, with 5 CANADA GEESE present, as well as 2 male GOOSANDER ( a female joined them later in the afternoon, as reported to me by a fellow birder, trespassing on my patch!) A lone COOT was also seen and a CORMORANT threatened to drop in but thought better of it, the usual MALLARDS and MOORHENS made up for what was an unusually busy time on the normally baron lakes!

Out on the blustery sheep pasture at the Ashes Lane Fields, the dozen MEADOW PIPITS sprang up, gave their ''seep seep'' call, then dropped back down again, plus a BUZZARD flew low over.

There was much disturbance at the Greenhouse Grounds, the adjacent Greenhouse Copse and Migrant Alley, so little of note was found, apart from 5 SKYLARK that got flushed up, not seen that many here for some while and wont again now I suppose!

Reduced to a bit of sky watching, I took up my seat and hoped for something special to fly over, but in the end had to make do with a few BLACK HEADED and HERRING GULLS, plus singles of GREYLAG GOOSE and YELLOWHAMMER, not very exciting!

I kept a few images back from yesterdays patch visit, knowing today would be rubbish camera weather........................


Meadow Pipit, on a battered hedgerow



8 comments:

mallingbirder said...

..sorry Warren, payback for that time you visited Barming (Dec 2012?)for Hawfinch ;-)

mallingbirder said...

Ps. But thanks for gen, cracking birds and cracking patch

Pete Woodruff said...

You didn't elaborate on the disturbance at the Greenhouse Grounds Warren, but I note your made a point about the Meadow Pipit on a battered hedgerow, a result of 'management' by the Keep Britain Tidy Brigade I assume.

Warren Baker said...

Pete,
Dogs, Students, Farm workers, you name it, they were out there today ! You assume right about the ''keep Britain Tidy Brigade'' !

Warren Baker said...

Hey mallingbirder,
I least you got to see your quarry, I never did see the Hawfinch!! :-)

Derek Faulkner said...

Unfortunately Warren, not everybody has the advantage of early retirement like us, some have to work and earn a living and that unfortunately will sometimes disturb those that have little else to do but wander about with binoculars and a notebook.

Warren Baker said...

Oh dear Derek,
You been on the red again! I just state what i see - there was heavy disturbance, it was a fact, not that the dog walkers are actually earning a living wandering across the fields off the footpaths, or are the loutish students let loose to run free in the woods in much the same way as the dogs!

Derek Faulkner said...

Actually Warren, some dog walkers do earn a living taking dogs for a walk and a run round, I see them along the beach on part of The Swale NNR now and then, it pays very well I understand. They do no harm, the birds soon return and they're no different to me and my two dogs wandering about all the time. I think it goes under the title of - "The Countryside (use of)", something a small minority of birdwatcher/photographers still seem unable to grasp. Think yourself lucky that you don't have a major twitch on your patch, with their cars blocking the lanes and mass groups of people blocking or wandering off of footpaths, now that is something to get grumpy about.
Now where's the corkscrew!