Thursday 3 November 2016

The second full patch walk of the month was undertaken today, once again there was a slight frost, but it remained dry and sunny for the four hour visit.

A total of 40 bird species were recorded, three of those were new for the month, those being SISKIN (43), MISTLETHRUSH (44) and more unexpectedly, RING NECKED PARAKEET (45), all were recorded flying over the Scrubby Woods / Lakes area, the latter species were seen firstly as just 2 birds, but following them, shortly after, were a flock of 11 birds, yet more were heard going over as I was under the canopy of the Scrubby Woods.

A KINGFISHER was the only species of interest at the lakes, while the farmland areas of my patch held very little, just a couple of MEADOW PIPITS on the Ashes Lane Fields of note. The female KESTREL was at the Greenhouse Grounds and a BUZZARD called from the Greenhouse copse. A short sky watch from my seat at Migrant Alley produced a few SKYLARK and PIED WAGTAIL, as well as a few HERRING GULLS and BLACK HEADED GULLS, not much reward for a chilly watch!

I failed with the camera today, but a visit to my garden feeders by a JAY gives me hope that it will become a regular, allowing for some images when the sunshine returns  :-)

2 comments:

Ken. said...

Warren.
Nice to see that the weather was kind to you so that you could do a 4hr walk. The Siskin was a good bird to see, is it a winter visitor?
You must have been taken aback when you heard the distinctive call of the R/N/Parakeet, The Kingfisher that you see regularly, is it a male or female?

Warren Baker said...

Hi Ken,
Yes, the Siskins are winter visitors here.....although the odd one has tuned up in the summer months!

The Kingfisher I saw was a male, but both sexes turn up here from time to time.