Thursday 24 July 2008

Below: A little owl was sitting on a neighbours tv antenna (cant spell aeriael !!) as I wrote this post.



After the excitement of finding a Juv. Cuckoo and a small copper earlier this afternoon, I decided to finish the walk I abandoned earlier. I left at 18;45 and went back round Migrant Alley. I walked up the the Maize crop, where a dozen or so PIED WAGTAILS flew out, but thats all there was on that side. A BLACKHEADED GULL and two HERRING GULLS flew west as I made my way to the north end of the field, and the scrub headland. Here a CHIFFCHAFF gave it's autumn Hooeet call, and a Songthrush flew from a low bush, giving an alarm call suggesting it had flown from a nest. Not much else was heard, and it would have been quite tranquill had it not been for the yapping dogs heard from different quarters.
As I went down the other side of the maize, a KESTREL flew slowly over, bringing out half a dozen anxious SWALLOWS from the stables close by at the college, as I watched it go over, a SPARROWHAWK came low into the stable area, and in doing so brought about a much more vigorous response from the SWALLOWS - at least 25 came out shouting their alarm call. I walked on and found the leaking water trough was leaking again, great for the ROOKS which were all taking turns in bathing in the now replenished puddle. Another gull went over, it was probably a Common Gull, but it wasn't sufficiently seen to be counted, pity, it would of been a new species for the month. I left migrant alley, and got onto Ashes lane, heading back home. LINNETS, and HOUSE SPARROWS were out in force, and as I passed the greenhouse complex a SONGTHRUSH and YELLOWHAMMER were singing from cover there. They made a better sound than the music coming from the migrant workers temporary accommadation, situated in the middle of the complex! As I neared my house, 22 GREY LAG GEESE flew over, then 16, then 2. These would have been the geese I saw this morning going off to feed somewhere, now coming in to their roost.
A pleasant evening walk, but I need to go out even later at some point to get Tawny Owl on this years patch list, can't believe i've not seen or heard one yet!

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