After all that wet and windy weather yesterday, today was much calmer with some long sunny spells. I left for work a little early this morning, as it was light, and was rewarded with 3 new species for Novembers list - A KESTREL hunting over the tree nursery, a GREY WAGTAIL on the manure heap at Migrant Alley, and a skein of 7 GREYLAG GEESE that flew over whilst I admired the wagtail.

This afternoon things turned a bit cloudier, but it was still bright enough to get some photo's at last. I set off on my now usual winter walk, of the small holding, wet woods and Lake/scrub area, only visiting Migrant Alley briefly.

It was good to find 3 male and 2 female BULLFINCH'S in an overgrown area, on the way to the small holding, where another new species for the month, a GREEN WOODPECKER was seen in the Orchard. The wet woods was a bit wetter, after the rain, but not wet enough to find any Teal in there, just a GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER, and a few MOORHEN were seen.

It was the turn of the lake to give some excitement to this afternoons walk, the months first GREY HERON was seen, as well as the first CORMORANT fishing there since Apr 14th. The usual MALLARDS and MOORHENS were about, but the most pleasing find was - at last - MANDARIN DUCK (108), 3 in fact, 2 Males and a Female, the year list goes up by one more, and last years record yearly total of 106 species is left well behind!

Whilst at the lake two more new monthly species were found, the MARSH TIT, which was with a flock of LONG TAILED TITS, and another good one for my patch REDPOLL, at least 3 went over calling.

I made my way over to Migrant Alley and had a short Skywatch, and checked the tall hedge, the latter had the first LINNET of the month, and the skywatch produced a COMMON GULL, not often recorded on my patch, so another good one for the November total. Also noted going over was another GREY HERON, 3 BLACK HEADED GULLS, 5 SKYLARKS, and 10 PIED WAGTAILS that came over to the Greenhouse complex to look for a roost site.

So eleven more for November, and some good species amongst them, brings the list to 44. There are a few more species that i should find easy enough, Treecreeper and Yellowhammer, an Owl Species, maybe another gull, but it's gonna be hard to get to that 66 I got last year!


Whilst at my skywatching seat, this Dunnock came and joined me, It looked at me as if to say '' thanks for scaring away the Sprawk, I don't think you looked funny'' ( thanks mate)

Below is the Linnet

Next is one of the Male Bullfinch that was a wild area, before the Small holding.

lastly the Cormorant, leaving the Lake. I wanted to get a Mandarin Duck photo, as I havn't got one of that species, but they refused to leave the overhanging branches.

It was going to be a wet and windy morning, according to the forecasters, so the idea was to have a rare lie in, and get out this afternoon. I was up at 07:30 and when I looked out of the window the tempest that had been forecast was nowhere to be seen! Ok it was a bit blowy with some spits and spots of rain, but not that bad, why do I take notice of them!

However, after getting myself together, I ventured out and within 20 mins the predicted stormy weather arrived, sending me scuttling back home. There was nothing for it but to do a bit of garden birding. All started ok, the usual BLUE and GREAT TITS came in, ROBIN and DUNNOCK picked at the fallen sunflower hearts, and the CHAFFINCH, GOLDFINCH and GREENFINCH'S had started to arrive, JACKDAWS and WOODPIGEONS were venturing nearer the food, and COLLARED DOVES were chasing BLACKBIRDS around. Suddenly all hell breaks loose, birds flying everywhere in all directions, its back again! pesky SPARROWHAWK!

After that initial failed attack, the Sprawk went up into the favoured Leylani tree, to deliver a surprise attack on the next bird to come to the feeders, however I went out and flushed it off, 10 mins later it was back, so I went out and flushed it off, 10 mins later it was back again, so again I flushed it off, this went on all morning, needless to say I didn't see much else in the garden, just a fleeting glimpse of a COAL TIT and a GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER.

The storm passed over at 13:30 and it began to brighten, so I went off out for a quick visit to the lake, via the wet woods, maybe a duck species had taken shelter on the lake, but no, only MALLARD and MOORHEN were seen. A large party of LONG TAILED TITS were seen on the walk back home, along with a couple of GOLDCRESTS and a group of 4 BULLFINCH'S, but that was all there was of interest. A few of the more common species were noted for the new November list, and a start of 33 species is quite a few less than i would of anticipated, - well thats half of the record November total anyway!

Back to work tomorrow, and with the ever darkening afternoons I'm going to need some good fortune to find them birds, but try i will.