Heavy overnight rain persisted into the morning, later turning to hefty showers.
In the conditions, I opted out of an early morning patch visit, then a mid morning appointment in nearby Hadlow, made it only possible for a short bit of birding as I walked through the Greenhouse Grounds and across Migrant Alley on the way.
It proved fortunate though, for as I walked through the Greenhouse Grounds, the months first GREY WAGTAIL (54) flew up from a large puddled area. The BLACK HEADED GULL flock was out on the sheep pasture at Migrant Alley where there were now also a flock of sheep with their lambs, another year of these pesky, environment munching animals :-( Up above, a pair of BUZZARDS were soaring in the grey skies.
On my walk back, another Buzzard was seen on one of the paddock fence lines - not quite the early Wheatear I was hoping for! Fieldfare were notable only by their absence, but they may have been over on the Ashes Lane Fields, I dont think they would be heading back North on mass quite yet. The KESTREL pair were seen together as I walked back through the Greenhouse Grounds.
March isn't quite going my way at the moment, with all the disruption from ''man flu'' and some poor weather getting in the way. The Grey wagtail recorded today took the March list to 54, which is still three species behind the worst March total recorded. I can reasonably expect the likes of Little Owl, Cormorant and Grey Heron to turn up, plus the first Chiffchaff should arrive this month, so i'll need a few bonus species if I am to get anywhere near the record March total of 71!
No images again :-(
Wednesday, 9 March 2016
Tuesday, 8 March 2016
The sunshine lasted barely an hour this morning before it clouded over, although there were still some bright spells to be had, in which, it felt quite warm with little wind about.
Yesterday Evening I added TAWNY OWL (53) to the March list, one was heard calling from over at the Wet Woods as I listened from my upstairs window :-)
I did a four and a half hour full patch walk today, finding a very good total of 50 bird species, but inexplicably Great Spotted Woodpecker wasn't on the list, most unusual to not see one, or at least hear one!
Although no more species were added to the March list, there was plenty to see, the three regular raptor species were all up hunting, they being BUZZARD, KESTREL and SPARROWHAWK. Four Gull species were on the sheep pasture at Migrant Alley - HERRING GULL, BLACK HEADED GULL, COMMON GULL and LESSER BLACK BACKED GULL. A couple of SISKINS had returned to the Alder Trees at the Greenhouse Grounds and the LESSER REDPOLLS were again seen at the Small Holding area.
On the lakes there were CANADA GEESE, GREYLAG GEESE, MALLARDS, MOORHENS and both the COOT pair and MUTE SWAN pair, the latter have built a nest on one of the islands, maybe I was wrong thinking the habitat was not good enough to find food to bring up a brood ? Although they are receiving supplementary feeding from the nearby owners of the large house. A KINGFISHER was a bonus sighting on the main lake :-)
All the scarce and common woodland species turned out today, apart from the Great Spotted Woodpecker that is, with GOLDCREST, TREECREEPER, NUTHATCH, COAL TIT, LONG TAILED TIT, STOCK DOVE, BULLFINCH, JAY, GREEN WOODPECKER and SONGTHRUSH being the pick of what was in the Scrubby Woods and Wet Woods, even the PHEASANT turned up in the latter :-)
The FIELDFARE flock was feeding on the Ashes Lane Fields, along with just 2 REDWING, plus a lone MISTLETHRUSH was with them.
Flyovers were had from another 5 Canada Geese, another Mute Swan, a YELLOWHAMMER, 2 PIED WAGTAILS and 2 SKYLARKS.
Yesterday Evening I added TAWNY OWL (53) to the March list, one was heard calling from over at the Wet Woods as I listened from my upstairs window :-)
I did a four and a half hour full patch walk today, finding a very good total of 50 bird species, but inexplicably Great Spotted Woodpecker wasn't on the list, most unusual to not see one, or at least hear one!
Although no more species were added to the March list, there was plenty to see, the three regular raptor species were all up hunting, they being BUZZARD, KESTREL and SPARROWHAWK. Four Gull species were on the sheep pasture at Migrant Alley - HERRING GULL, BLACK HEADED GULL, COMMON GULL and LESSER BLACK BACKED GULL. A couple of SISKINS had returned to the Alder Trees at the Greenhouse Grounds and the LESSER REDPOLLS were again seen at the Small Holding area.
On the lakes there were CANADA GEESE, GREYLAG GEESE, MALLARDS, MOORHENS and both the COOT pair and MUTE SWAN pair, the latter have built a nest on one of the islands, maybe I was wrong thinking the habitat was not good enough to find food to bring up a brood ? Although they are receiving supplementary feeding from the nearby owners of the large house. A KINGFISHER was a bonus sighting on the main lake :-)
All the scarce and common woodland species turned out today, apart from the Great Spotted Woodpecker that is, with GOLDCREST, TREECREEPER, NUTHATCH, COAL TIT, LONG TAILED TIT, STOCK DOVE, BULLFINCH, JAY, GREEN WOODPECKER and SONGTHRUSH being the pick of what was in the Scrubby Woods and Wet Woods, even the PHEASANT turned up in the latter :-)
The FIELDFARE flock was feeding on the Ashes Lane Fields, along with just 2 REDWING, plus a lone MISTLETHRUSH was with them.
Flyovers were had from another 5 Canada Geese, another Mute Swan, a YELLOWHAMMER, 2 PIED WAGTAILS and 2 SKYLARKS.
Not much light or opportunity to get photo's out on my patch today, so I got a couple of images from the usual suspects at my garden feeding station, like this WREN.
up to 6 SISKINS are mingling in with the dozen Lesser Redpolls, here;s the male.
Here's a female
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