Thursday 10 November 2011

The weather was not too bad again this afternoon, in fact, it was better than some of the days we had back in July !  Warm and windless with a few sunny spells, very unlike November weather  :-)

I made the walk over to the tall hedge at Migrant Alley first off, and deposited some more wheat grain around the base of the hedge, but today as I approached, there were just 2 YELLOWHAMMER and a CHAFFINCH, I hope my efforts come to more than that!

As yesterday, I made my way over to check out the Lakes, via the Tree Nursery, in which the 20 or so MEADOW PIPITS were still about, they were trying to outwit the KESTREL that was sitting up on the telephone pole watching them. I made a point of scanning the adjacent Pub Field whilst there, but there weren't any Lapwings or the Buzzard today, only BLACK HEADED GULLS.

I spent the rest of the daylight hours around the Lakes and Scrubby Woods, the Lakes had a CORMORANT keeping the MALLARDS and MOORHEN company today, but still nothing more exciting than that  :-(  In the woods however, it was positively buzzing, I found GREAT TITS, COAL TIT,  BLUE TITS, CHAFFINCH, GOLDFINCH, BULLFINCH, TREECREEPER, NUTHATCH, GOLDCREST, REDWING, BLACKBIRDS and SONGTHRUSHES all in close proximity, they were mostly congregating around a large Hawthorn bush, the fact it was receiving the suns rays, and was full of berries made it a natural stop for them, but try as I might I never got a decent chance of a photo, although the Goldcrest (below) did move nearer into an Elder for me, but it was much shadier here.

Goldcrest
A SPARROWHAWK didn't take long to turn up on the scene, whizzing through at high speed, but after the initial panic, the birds soon returned to their foraging. A few flyovers were noted whilst I was in the woods, FIELDFARE, SISKIN, LESSER REDPOLL and HERRING GULLS, but not the hoped for Canada Geese, they are just about the only certainity to join the November list that I have yet to record.

In the dying light, I spotted a moth fly across my path and alight on a nettle, no idea what it is, i'll leave that to Greenie and Dean, any ideas guys  ?

Unidentified Moth......Now identified as not a moth at all, but a Caddis fly  :-)  Thankd Dean, Alan and Greenie!

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Not a moth, Warren. But a Caddis Fly.

Alan Pavey said...

Hi Warren, the Caddis Flies come to the light traps in various numbers and sizes, I haven't started to try and ID those yet!!! Nice Goldcrest.

Jason K said...

The weather was mild but dull and overcast here today mate...so I'm obviously getting your crappy weather now!

Warren Baker said...

Dean, Thanks for that mate - I dont know sh*t about insects do I!!

Alan, I didn't even know it was a caddis fly :-)

Jase, Enjoy mate, enjoy :-)

Millhouse Photography said...

That's a cracking image of a Goldcrest Warren, in a lovely pose. I'm still trying for one like that.

Greenie said...

Warren ,
As Dean and Alan have already stated , you're insect is a Caddis Fly . Not the same species that I have seen a couple of times recently . Could be Phryganea grandis , but not certain .
Had 8 Fallow Deer whilst hedgelaying today .

Unknown said...

Very nice Goldcrest shot Warren.

Unknown said...

Cracking Goldcrest image Nuthatch and treecreeper excellent on earlier post as well.