Thursday 30 October 2008

Last weekend I said sunday would be my last full walk round my patch this month, I forgot however that i'm off work today and tomorrow, so tomorrow will be the last full walk of the month - Anyway, It was chucking it down early this morning, so I didn't get out till 07:30, there was no sign of yeaterday's Harrier - Which after much deliberating I have decided, was in fact a MARSH HARRIER (100, 119), A patch tick to bring up the 100 for the year, couldn't have asked for better! 119 now for the patch, is really a good total.
Back to this morning, and the center of attention (as is mostly the case) was Migrant Alley, the stubbles and hedgerows were full of birds, the majority were the usual MEADOW PIPITS, PIED WAGTAILS,LINNETS, and SKYLARKS, together totalling more than 100 birds, easily. Also with them were a couple of REED BUNTING. BLUE and GREAT TITS were in the hedgerow, with a single REDWING, and a couple of SONG THRUSH, with at least 10 BLACKBIRD, 4 DUNNOCK and the first flock of FIELDFARE to come down and start on the Hawthorn berries, about 40 birds in all. More Redwing and Fieldfare went over, in small groups of up to 30. Also seen flying over was a group of 9 LAPWING, and a few minutes later 9 CANADA GEESE, both new species for the month, another new species for the month was COMMON GULL, two of which fed on the college sports pitch.
Along the stream behind the college was a flock of 60 min. SISKIN, with at least 8 GOLDFINCH amongst them, on the way back home, as I went through the small areas of habitat round the greenhouse complex, I came across 16 LONG TAILED TITS with 5 GOLDCREST associating with them, I scanned the latter for a Firecrest, but not this time !
I did try to get some pictures, but the light is so poor now, they weren't worth posting.

3 comments:

Mike said...

Got a Goldcrest in my garden the other day, a first for me, but I was in work so no pics, fingers crossed it visits again over the weekend.

Josh Jenkins Shaw said...

Congratulations Warren! The harrier was definatly a deserved patch tick.

Kingsdowner said...

Belated congratulations on your most impressive century (and also on 101 and 102!)
I missed the great event, being in Canada.
Still a few days left too!