Friday 7 October 2016

In cool, cloudy and calm conditions, I set off for another full patch walk this morning, during which I tallied up an ok total of 45 bird species in the 4 hours.

I added a couple of species to the October list, the first being a TREECREEPER (58), one was at last found at the Small Holding Area. The second species involved a bit of good fortune, as two LITTLE EGRETS (59) flew over the Scrubby Woods just as I happened to be looking up!

After not seeing any SWALLOWS yesterday, this morning I watched scores of them passing over, along with just as many HOUSE MARTINS, the only other 'Summer' species recorded today were a few CHIFFCHAFFS, seen around the banks of the lakes, moving through with a party of LONG TAILED TITS, plus a few BLUE and GREAT TITS and a couple of GOLDCRESTS.

HERRING GULL, BLACK HEADED GULL and COMMON GULL were found on the field next to the Greenhouse Grounds that was ploughed and harrowed yesterday, today it was seeded and had also attracted around 30 PIED WAGTAILS. A GREY WAGTAIL was also seen, that flew over the greenhouses, where both the male and female KESTREL sat, just one BUZZARD was noted today though, the only other raptor species of the morning.

I was surprised to come across a pristine female Southern Hawker Dragonfly at the Greenhouse Grounds, a species I've not encountered in October before.

Not a day for taking photo's, but ive got a couple of images left from Wednesdays walk.


STARLING


2 comments:

Derek Faulkner said...

Your bird numbers are starting to stack up again Warren, despite the disturbance and sometimes, as you are finding, some disturbance as in the re-seeded field, does bring in different types of birds. I had a pristine male Hen Harrier this morning which was a very welcome sight.

Warren Baker said...

Yes Derek,
It's a good thing birds are opportunists, the recent ploughed field provides short term food, but it will be a barron silage field in a few weeks. Not had any sort of Harrier fly over here for a few years now, unfortunately.......lack of voles perhaps! :-)