Saturday 14 February 2015

Overnight rain left another cloudy dull morning, with water dripping from everything.

I spent 3 hours out visiting my patch, but turned up very little today, the best sighting was of a female GOOSANDER on the main Lake, where 2 CANADA GEESE were staking claim to the small island there and a GREY HERON fished from the waters edge. 4 more Canada Geese were on the small lake, the MUTE SWAN pair, plus a few MALARDS and MOORHENS were on the ornamental lake, but the Coot was not seen today.

There were two BUZZARDS sitting together in a small tree at the bean field next to High House Lane, with a third in the next tree along, a nice find  :-) A SKYLARK was up singing over the bean crop, with more probably in the crop but I couldn't see over all the field, a YELLOWHAMMER also called as it flew over and the GREY WAGTAIL had relocated to the drainage ditch to the side of the bean crop. Many hundreds of FIELDFARE were flying in, having been flushed from the sheep pasture at Migrant Alley, which when I arrived there was almost birdless, just a dozen HERRING GULLS were on one of the paddocks.

The KESTREL pair were around the Greenhouse Grounds, but little else was there of any note, just plenty of DUNNOCKS, WRENS and ROBINS.

A bit of a disappointing visit then and with the poor light no photo's were obtained  :-(

4 comments:

Pete Woodruff said...

A long time 3 hours to 'turn up very little' for your dedicated efforts, but this happens in birding doesn't it. I'm confident it won't deter you though Warren.

Noushka said...

Hi Warren,
Even if no photos were possible, at least you go out, observe and relate your sightings which is very important :)
We had few days with sunlight in the south of France but I got lucky at each opportunity.
today is no exception, it raining rather heavily... :(
Keep well, king regards :)

Glasgow Birder said...

Been dull as dishwater up here (literally) all week.

Warren Baker said...

Thanks for the support Pete, Noushka and Dean :-)

I'll be out as usual, no worries about that!