Tuesday 8 January 2008

Mixed Winter Thrushes At Migrant Alley ( Sunday)

The walk to and from work proved uneventful, birdwise, apart from a small gathering of FIELDFARE & REDWING in the pasture around migrant alley. After a quick refueling at home, I went out for a look around the lake area through the waterlogged woods and back via the tree nursery. The woods were productive for me today, as at least 3 TEAL were present, with a pair of MALLARD, but best of all a pair of MANDARIN duck helped the monthly total along. These ducks really shone out, a real treat in the gloom of a January afternoon. On the lake a HERON sat up in a willow tree, watching over two dozen Mallard and a few MOORHEN, the Little Grebe was not to be found (hope its not in the Heron!) The return walk through the tree nursery and the watery ditch (see photo in sat post) didn't throw up any snipe or sandpiper, but a few Redwing did show themselves, and a flock of nine LINNETS flew up and around me before alighting atop an oak tree, I scanned for Redpoll, but against the light it was not really a good view.

2 comments:

Stewart said...

Hi Warren I've looked where you are on the map. It looks a good area with a few ponds around. Have you read '70 years of birdwatching' by HG Alexander? A great read about birding at the turn of the 20th century, a lot of it around Tunbridge Wells...

Warren Baker said...

Hello Boulmer man ,
I have indeed read the mentioned book, its one of the books that keeps me focused. I think in the authors time it was a much more productive area. Your patch looks a very interesting one, I sometimes get the ''grass is greener'' syndrome!