A dark and gloomy sky over Pittswood

A LESSER REDPOLL (41) was calling from the top of the Silver Birch tree in a neighbours garden as I left for work this morning, but a thick fog had developed, and the walk in was hopeless for birding, except for the sound of MEADOW PIPITS (42) as I walked across Migrant Alley. The walk home again was only notable for the BULLFINCH (43) that was heard calling from the hedgerow along Ashes Lane.

Nothing at all was at the garden feeders, which I watched as I ate my lunch, I suspect the Sparrowhawk was hiding nearby  :-) I then set off for a little under 2 hours, visiting the Small Holding, Wet Woods, and Lake / Scrubby Woods area. In the small holding three GREEN and a GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER were in the old orchard, a JAY flew out and across into the Wet Woods, followed by two REDWING which alighted in an old dying pear tree, nice to see them stopping by at last! Four CHAFFINCH fed on the seeds of the old pears, but I couldn't stretch one into a Brambling :-)

Through the Wet Woods, all was quiet apart from the high pitch trembling call of a TREECREEPER (44) another species for the November list. I spent an hour mooching around the Lakes and Scrubby Woods, but it was not very inspiring, I at least saw my first PHEASANT (45) for the month :-)  The call of a TAWNY OWL (46) from the dense cover of a line of leylandi was a nice surprise though, however, the search for my first Goldcrest and Songthrush for November will have to resume tomorrow, where have they all disappeared ? Normally they are on the list from day one!

I walked home through the Tree Nursery, where 7 Meadow Pipits flew up and circled back round again, plus a couple of LINNETS (47) were found drinking from a large puddle. I had run out of light for a Migrant Alley visit, and it was only quarter past four !  :-(  I'll settle for the 7 new species for the month though, and I can think of 5 more species that should be found easily this month, so the 50 mark will be passed, but the record of 68 looks a long way off !

Chaffinch from the Small Holding - as you can see photography is a struggle now in the poor light !

This little blue fungus looked interesting, thought I saw Dean post a photo one of these on his blog, was it called a Bluet....or something  ?

Another Robin Photo!

A new month, and a much better day weatherwise, with some long sunny periods developing after early rain had cleared.

My new months list was started off with a GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER seen on the nut feeder as I left for work this morning, this was quickly added to as I walked along Ashes Lane, with WOODPIGEON, PIED WAGTAIL, GREEN WOODPECKER, WREN, BLUE TIT, STARLING and ROBIN all appearing in the first light. I crossed the Greenhouse Complex Grounds, where MAGPIE, BLACKBIRD, GOLDFINCH, and a flyover YELLOWHAMMER were all seen. Hopping over the fence to Migrant Alley, it was all quiet out on the sheep pasture and paddocks, the only birds added to the list here were flyovers, from JACKDAW, FIELDFARE, BLACKHEDED GULL, CORMORANT ( good to have that early on the list!) and a nice flock of 43 REDWING.

I picked the HOUSE SPARROWS at the College Stables, also a 'cawing' CARRION CROW, and the walk through the College Grounds gave me flyover HERRING GULL and ROOK, a small group of LONG TAILED TITS, plus the ever present SPARROWHAWK  :-)

The walk home only added two more species, a JAY, which I heard squawking from the Wet Woods, and a COMMON BUZZARD that circled over the Greenhouse Complex. Whilst I ate my lunch, I kept an eye on the garden feeders, adding NUTHATCH, COAL TIT, COLLARED DOVE, GREAT TIT and GREENFINCH, to bring the November list to 32 before heading off out over to the lakes for the afternoon patch visit.

Walking over to the lakes and Scrubby Woods, across the Tree Nursery, just one more new species was found, a SKYLARK, whilst on the lakes, the MALLARD and MOORHEN were present, as always, but a GREY HERON had joined them today, flyovers by SISKIN and KESTREL were the only additions to Novembers list here.

I spent the remainder of the afternoon, and not alot was left now, over at my seat by the tall hedgerow at Migrant Alley, where after a few minutes the call of a CROSSBILL was heard as it flew over, a fantastic November species to find here! Only my second ever recrord, the first being last week  :-) that was the 40th and last species added for the day. With plenty of regular species left for tomorrow,  I'll be chasing the record species total for November, of 68, set last year, I've a feeling it could be a hard task, looking at the mild and unseasonal weather predicted!

The same Robin, - this was in the tall hedge, feeding as the last rays of sun fell on it

Shame about the shadow cast by the twigs!!