Thursday 24 November 2016

This morning was overcast, but dry, with a strong NE wind blowing.

I spent a couple of hours out, during which I visited the lakes and scrubby Woods, any duck species, ( apart from mallard ) would be a bonus on the lakes and a Woodcock in the scrubby Woods would a be a year tick, but only MALLARDS were on the water and there was no Woodcock in the woods, where despite the wind making hearing bird calls difficult, I did find a party of a dozen or so LONG TAILED TITS, accompanied by a few GOLDCRESTS, BLUE TITS, GREAT TITS, 2 NUTHATCHES and a TREECREEPER.

As I was leaving the area I heard the sound of whistling wing beats, I looked up and saw no fewer than 7 MUTE SWANS (61) come over and alight briefly on the main lake, before flying off again - nothing stays long! All but one of the Swans were immature birds. The November species list now goes into the 60's, but I will need two more new species for the month to get up to joint 8th place in the year rankings.

Walking back home across the Ashes Lane Fields, 7 MEADOW PIPITS were seen, plus both KESTREL and BUZZARD flew over.

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