Monday 8 February 2016

Although it was bright at times between the showers, a strong to gale force wind blew.

In the strong and gusty wind, my patch visit proved pretty useless, nothing could be heard, and most birds were sheltering. I checked the lakes just in case a duck species had dropped in to shelter from the storm, but just a few MALLARDS, MOORHEN and the 6 CANADA GEESE were present.

The MEADOW PIPITS rode the wind over at the Ashes Lane Field, where small numbers of REDWING and FIELDFARE were also seen. I watched the KESTREL balancing effortlessly on the gale as it hunted over the Greenhouse Grounds.

The largest gathering of birds seen today were the Gulls at Migrant Alley, where 60 - 80 BLACK HEADED GULLS, 20-30 HERRING GULLS, 2 COMMON GULLS and 3 LESSER BLACK BACKED GULLS were feeding on the sheep pasture, where I thought I heard a Grey Wagtail fly over, but in the wind I couldn't be sure! Hopeless - plus i've run out of photo's!

3 comments:

Pete Woodruff said...

Just eleven lines in your post and not a picture in sight. The weather certainly got the better of your birding today Warren. I didn't give it a chance to get one over on me, I stayed indoors all day, all very depressing.

Warren Baker said...

It's been one shit winter Pete, rain and wind incessantly, well almost!

Derek Faulkner said...

I think the eight or so storms that they've had up north Warren, constitutes a far worse and shit winter than we've had Warren, as depressing as ours has been.