After work this afternoon I paid a visit to the Lakes and Scrubby Wood area of my patch, via the Small Holding and Wet Woods, this is the default Autumn/winter walk, now that the summer migrants have stopped passing though. There is a slim chance of a passage bird still, so if time permits I will end up at the fields and Paddocks of Migrant Alley for a Little time yet.

Passing through he Small Holding, a small flock of some half a dozen CHAFFINCH were feeding on the well rotten, fallen crab apples, also in the old orchard were three GREEN WOODPECKERS. The Wet Woods are now completely bone dry, nothing at all was heard or seen in here, but thats not unusual for this time of year, once the rains come and the ditches fill up, it will become more active.

Walking the path from the woods to the lakes, which is flanked by two large gardens, two more Green Woodpeckers were seen in the more formal of the two gardens, whilst in the well wooded garden a NUTHATCH called, but it was all very quiet really.

On the Main Lake today 13 MALLARD and and four MOORHEN were the only occupants, while the satellite lakes held just 5 Moorhens between them. Whilst tucked in the bankside vegetation, scanning the main lake, I got a glimpse of a small falcon as it appeared to come down to the surface of the lake, presumably to drink, however it was right in front of the sun, so all i could see were backlit primaries really, almost immediately a SPARROWHAWK came in and saw off the small falcon, making it call in a high pitched Ki-Ki-Ki, sounding like a squeaking bicycle wheel! I've no real idea what it was, Kestrel, Hobby or maybe even a Merlin, views were so brief and into the sun - something missed there I think!

I carried on through he bankside scrub and looked over the Scrubby Woods, and found the familiar birds, most were in a mixed Feeding flock comprising of LONG TAILED, BLUE, GREAT and COAL TITS, with a TREECREEPER and two GOLDCRESTS.

I made my way over to Migrant Alley in a strengthening SW wind and falling light, but little was seen here of note today, apart from the resident LINNET flock, a few GOLDFINCH and a flyover MEADOW PIPIT, the KESTREL was up hunting, and another sighting of a Sparrowhawk was also had.

No photo's today! 

This morning a dense fog fog enveloped my patch, and the light frost that went with it had me shivering for the first time this Autumn.

Fog at Migrant Alley - This is the Tall Hedge where I skywatch

Unsurprisingly very little was seen at all, and not much more was heard! In the two hours I spent out, just 29 species were recorded, by 09:00hrs I was back home, thawing out over tea and toast  :-)

By 10:00hrs the fog had began to lift - so off I went out again, almost immediately I was treated to a brace of LESSER REDPOLL that flew over Ashes lane, the first i've actually seen this Autumn, the others having been detected by their call only. I headed through the Tree Nursery and in the thinning mist and gathering sunshine I noted a small bird drop down onto one of the shrubs, where it started to call - it was a REED BUNTING (65) a new species for this month, and the first on my patch since March. SKYLARKS started to flyover as I made my way to the Lakes and Scrubby Woods, small numbers in groups of 3-6, and in the distance I saw 5 CANADA GEESE fly by, a PHEASANT called and was seen creeping along the edge of the Wet woods.

On reaching the lakes I found 8 MALLARD, 5 MOORHEN and a GREY HERON on the main lake with nothing different on the two smaller satellite lakes. I checked the surrounding scrub and vegetation, and found BULLFINCH, GREENFINCH, GOLDFINCH, CHAFFINCH, JAY, GOLDCREST,  NUTHATCH, TREECREEPER, LONG TAILED TIT, COAL TIT, BLUE and GREAT TIT as well as GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER, they were all loosely associating in a feeding flock, enjoying the now warm sunny morning  :-) A LITTLE OWL called several times and a CHIFFCHAFF appeared a short time after, and joined the throng. Before leaving I noted two CORMORANTS and the ever present SPARROWHAWK flying over.

I went over to Migrant Alley, and the Greenhouse Grounds for the second time, well it was fog bound earlier!  It was now clear, sunny and warm, HERRING and BLACK HEADED GULLS were passing over at all heights, MEADOW PIPITS, LINNETS, SISKINS, single FIELDFARES and REDWING all passed over, and two KESTRELS were both being mobbed by a gang of CARRION CROWS, JACKDAWS and ROOKS. This left the way clear for a pair of BUZZARDS to fly unhindered low over the Greenhouses a short time later !

So after a dismal start to the day I ended up with 50 species, 3 more than yesterday, a cracking total in the end  :-)

Reed Bunting

Reed Bunting

Wren

BLACKBIRD Laping up the warm sunshine

GREEN WOODPECKER