Monday 30 November 2015

It was dark, overcast and windy, with spits of rain in the air this morning, much the same as the previous 29 days of this month!

I was hopeful of squeezing one more new species onto the November list this morning, but the four hour visit didn't turn up anything, so the months tally ends on 67, not too bad, as it is only 3 off the record tally and is the third best November tally out of fourteen, it also equals the mean average species total for the previous 5 years. The mean average number of November species for the full fourteen years is 61, while the combined fourteen Novembers have produced a species total of 90, the latest addition to that were the BRENT GEESE that were found on the 4th.

Anyway, todays interest was again mainly focused on the Greenhouse Grounds, where there were still a score or more each of GREENFINCH and CHAFFINCH, which were joined once again by the BRAMBLING, but there were far fewer LESSER REDPOLL, with half a dozen at most. GOLDFINCH and SISKIN were few as well, with just 2 of the former and 6 of the latter being seen. Other species of note there today were the CHIFFCHAFF, the GREY WAGTAIL, 4 YELLOWHAMMER and the female KESTREL, if I can get this lot to stay for tomorrow it would kick off December species list very nicely!

I just about heard the call of MEADOW PIPITS above the wind as I crossed the Ashes Lane Field to get to the Lakes, where the only bird of note today was the COOT, now staying into it's second week, very exciting for me!

The Scrubby Woods and the Wet Woods were given a thorough looking through, where despite the noise of the wind through the trees I manged to find most of the scarcer woodland birds like COAL TIT, LONG TAILED TIT, GOLDCREST, TREECREEPER, NUTHATCH, BULLFINCH, GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER, GREEN WOODPECKER and JAY.

Winter thrushes were noted only as flyovers and they were few, with 8 FIELDFARE in singles or pairs, and one flock of 7 REDWING.

Once again in the poor conditions, no decent photo's were possible, so it's back to the 'blog folder', which has little in now  :-(


The Lesser Redpolls may have dispersed somewhat from the Greenhouse Grounds, but they are now regular in my garden, 5 were feeding here today.





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