Tuesday 25 October 2016


View of the main lake (taken a few days back)

This morning was dull, gloomy and overcast, however the four and a half hour full patch walk had some brighter moments, one was finding a MANDARIN DUCK (69) on the main lake, one to add to this months species list. Also at the lakes was a KINGFISHER, plus the usual scattering of MALLARDS and MOORHENS.

The adjacent Scrubby Woods was quite lively, top birds for me were LESSER REDPOLL, SISKIN, BULLFINCH, GOLDCREST, NUTHATCH, TREECREEPER, GOLDCREST, COAL TIT, MISTLETHRUSH, STOCK DOVE, GREAT SPOTTED and GREEN WOODPECKERS, but all the other common regulars were also seen.

As I walked across the barron silage crop at Ashes Lane Fields, I watched small numbers of both FIELDFARE and REDWING pass over, plus a few HERRING GULLS and a lone BLACK HEADED GULL.

The Greenhouse Grounds were once again being subject to right battering, with large bits of habitat going under the chainsaw and brushcutters, so nothing was seen there, apart from the female KESTREL that looked on from its perch on one of the greenhouses.

I was pleasantly surprised to find yet another STONECHAT feeding along the edge of the Greenhouse copse, along with 2 YELLOWHAMMERS, that cheered me up a bit! A BUZZARD was seen sitting on one of the massacred hedgerows at Migrant Alley, where I saw a few MEADOW PIPITS, PIED WAGTAILS and SKYLARKS flying over.

A species total of 46 for the day wasn't too bad, thanks mainly to the habitat at the scrubby Woods, the Lakes, plus the flyover species. I noted not one Greenfinch today though, they seem to have been hit hard by the Trichomonosis disease again this year  :-(


Some late afternoon sunlight gave a short opportunity to try and photograph some garden birds, but there is relatively little visiting the feeding station at the moment, the Nuthatch is always good value though!

6 comments:

Derek Faulkner said...

Stunning looking habitat and a good count of birds. Had a flock of 24 Greenfinch on the Swale NNR a few days ago, they feed on the club rush seeds along the ditch edges at this time of the year.

Warren Baker said...


Poor old Greenfinches here Derek. They bred reasonably well, but succumbed to that disease.

Wilma said...

The main lake looks so calm and lovely with reflections of the autumn colors. Had no idea that nuthatch tongues were so pointy!

Warren Baker said...

Glad you enjoyed the images Wilma :-)

Pete Woodruff said...

Good to see you had another Stonechat again today Warren, are we looking at an all time high for you on the species in autumn?

I struggled to get a list of 20 species in my four hours today, but this is upland birding in the Forest of Bowland, so no big surprises on that score.

Warren Baker said...

Pete,
This October has seen more stonechat than any other whole year has produced!