A busy week on the patch ,with a few squeezed visits in the week which resulted in 2 new species for the year list and also some nice birds which are passing through . At the start of the week Tuesday late afternoon was graced by a superb Yellow Wagtail which was still in the area and a rather washed out male Wheatear on a ploughed field . Also a good sighting was a flock of 150 plus Lesser Black Backed Gulls on the same ploughed field.
The Thursday was next notable sightings with the male Yellow Wagtail seen again and the first Swifts of the year with a party of 5 over the patch.
With family pressures it was a rather truncated visit on Saturday which resulted in the usual suspects been seen but with added bonus of 10 Sand Martins which went straight through north .This takes the number of species seen on the patch this year to 73,and we still have hopefully a few summer guests to arrive yet .
With the rather poor coverage so far this weekend Willow and I were determined to survey the patch properly this morning and as a result we were out and about fairly early.
Overhead it was good to report that there seemed to be a few more Swallows of late with a healthy count of 32 plus over the patch this morning. They were kept company by 14 plus House Martins and a couple of Swifts. The counts for the Swallows and House Martins were both high spring counts so far this year.
Other birds which passed over were a Cormorant which passed south and a calling Yellow Wagtail which went due north. 3 Buzzards seemed to be in the process of just getting up but were soon soaring over the patch .
In the hedges and other areas of cover this morning were a good count of 9 plus Whitethroat, lower numbers of Blackcaps with 7 today, and also this was mirrored with just 5 Chiffchaff .Other Warblers present were 1 singing Willow Warbler and 2 Lesser Whitethroat. It nice to give the Bullfinch fan a mention as I managed to catch site of 1 today on the edge of the patch .The first for quite a while.
Over the pastures a healthy 8 plus Skylarks were singing, but I could only find 2 Stock Dove today.
Perhaps the oddest record for today was a high flying Curlew which called as it passed over. I did not see it so it must of been quite high ,perhaps it was a passing migrant ? .
The only other bird of note was a calling Green Woodpecker .Talking of unusual sightings a summer plumaged Black Headed Gull seen on Tuesday was a very rare sight on the patch at this time of year.
So we are now standing at a species count of 73 for the year so far . The next few weeks are the most critical if we are to get to the magic 90 for the year so please let the bird gods be kind over the next few days .
Sunday 10 May 2015
Sunday 3 May 2015
Migrants trickle in
As we hit the month of May summer migrants trickle through the patch albeit in low numbers so far apart from Blackcaps which seem to passing through in numbers at the moment. In complete contrast Swallows and House Martins are still in very low numbers and apart from the Cuckoos of last week I have not heard or seen another one yet, quite worrying .
That all been said the last week has brought us 3 new species including one of the stars of the patch. The 27th of April was a bank holiday in Holland so after a late walk I had a very quick jaunt around the patch ,it brought a good record of a migrant Sedge Warbler from a ditch ,it is only the second record for the patch and as it turns out may be part of a influx to the local area ,a local birder on a neighbouring patch has also recorded the same species for the first time this week.
3 Little Egret passed over north and an unusual record for this time of year was that of a Jay which passed to the east.
A busy day on Wednesday meant that a very quick walk up the road ,as usual I was scanning all over and then the best bird of the week so far showed in the form of a stunning male Whinchat ,a real cracker of a bird .It was on the same hedgerow as ones I saw last year in the spring .That took us to the count of 70 for the year so far.
Thursday dawned and after work I managed to find a personal biggy for me in the form of a brief Yellow Wagtail which I picked up by the call as it bombed over a hedgerow ,71 in the bag . Another migrant Sedge Warbler and a singing Lesser Whitethroat made up a brief but productive walk on the Thursday lunchtime.
The next time I managed to get out was Saturday and I was expecting a real cracker of a walk but in the end the list of birds was a slight disappointment .
A good search of the hedges and areas of cover found 6 plus Chiffchaff and a average number of Blackcap with 7 plus. Other warblers were a single singing Willow warbler , a single Lesser Whitethroat and a still low number of 3 Whitethroat, I am expecting more of the latter very soon.
On the pastureland 5 plus Skylark sang and a good number of 9 plus Stock Dove fed .
Overhead 8 plus Swallow passed over ,some bombing straight northwards .2 Raven called to each other and 8 House Martin were seen in the distance. An unusual sight was that of a single Mute Swan passing towards the river meadows
The best of the rest were a Green Woodpecker which called but was not seen and a Greater Spotted Woodpecker that passed over.
Sunday was a cold windy day ,very May like if you are in Iceland ,but we pressed on anyway.
In the hedges were 11 plus Blackcap ,but in truth I think there were many more, 4 Chiffchaff, the singing Willow Warbler , a slight increase of 5 Whitethroat ,including my local bird that sings just up from the cottage ,a nice total of 3 Lesser Whitethroat which wheezed and chacked from the cover .
A great sight was of 2 Yellow Wagtails near their usual haunt from last year ,and another male which called as it passed over towards the river meadows .
The most bizarre sighting so far this year was of a fine male Wheatear which passed over my head ,landed in an apple tree and then was off in a flash ,in all my years of birding I cannot remember seeing a Wheatear in a tree before.
A very brief bubbling Curlew was heard ,and there were more Skylarks than of late on the wing with up to 9 singing today. Again Stock Doves showed with 7 seen today.
Overhead just a single Swallow and House Martin showed , they are scarce this year so far, where are they ?
The best of the rest were a Green Woodpecker on an apple tree and a vey wet Buzzard which was seen trying to dry out in the wind ,perched onto of a dead tree with its wings out stretched .
So this week we have jumped to 71 species for this year and we are waiting for some our summer guest still to arrive. The weather needs to change so I have my prayer mat out , hoping for some warm southerly winds.
That all been said the last week has brought us 3 new species including one of the stars of the patch. The 27th of April was a bank holiday in Holland so after a late walk I had a very quick jaunt around the patch ,it brought a good record of a migrant Sedge Warbler from a ditch ,it is only the second record for the patch and as it turns out may be part of a influx to the local area ,a local birder on a neighbouring patch has also recorded the same species for the first time this week.
3 Little Egret passed over north and an unusual record for this time of year was that of a Jay which passed to the east.
A busy day on Wednesday meant that a very quick walk up the road ,as usual I was scanning all over and then the best bird of the week so far showed in the form of a stunning male Whinchat ,a real cracker of a bird .It was on the same hedgerow as ones I saw last year in the spring .That took us to the count of 70 for the year so far.
Thursday dawned and after work I managed to find a personal biggy for me in the form of a brief Yellow Wagtail which I picked up by the call as it bombed over a hedgerow ,71 in the bag . Another migrant Sedge Warbler and a singing Lesser Whitethroat made up a brief but productive walk on the Thursday lunchtime.
The next time I managed to get out was Saturday and I was expecting a real cracker of a walk but in the end the list of birds was a slight disappointment .
A good search of the hedges and areas of cover found 6 plus Chiffchaff and a average number of Blackcap with 7 plus. Other warblers were a single singing Willow warbler , a single Lesser Whitethroat and a still low number of 3 Whitethroat, I am expecting more of the latter very soon.
On the pastureland 5 plus Skylark sang and a good number of 9 plus Stock Dove fed .
Overhead 8 plus Swallow passed over ,some bombing straight northwards .2 Raven called to each other and 8 House Martin were seen in the distance. An unusual sight was that of a single Mute Swan passing towards the river meadows
The best of the rest were a Green Woodpecker which called but was not seen and a Greater Spotted Woodpecker that passed over.
Sunday was a cold windy day ,very May like if you are in Iceland ,but we pressed on anyway.
In the hedges were 11 plus Blackcap ,but in truth I think there were many more, 4 Chiffchaff, the singing Willow Warbler , a slight increase of 5 Whitethroat ,including my local bird that sings just up from the cottage ,a nice total of 3 Lesser Whitethroat which wheezed and chacked from the cover .
A great sight was of 2 Yellow Wagtails near their usual haunt from last year ,and another male which called as it passed over towards the river meadows .
The most bizarre sighting so far this year was of a fine male Wheatear which passed over my head ,landed in an apple tree and then was off in a flash ,in all my years of birding I cannot remember seeing a Wheatear in a tree before.
A very brief bubbling Curlew was heard ,and there were more Skylarks than of late on the wing with up to 9 singing today. Again Stock Doves showed with 7 seen today.
Overhead just a single Swallow and House Martin showed , they are scarce this year so far, where are they ?
The best of the rest were a Green Woodpecker on an apple tree and a vey wet Buzzard which was seen trying to dry out in the wind ,perched onto of a dead tree with its wings out stretched .
So this week we have jumped to 71 species for this year and we are waiting for some our summer guest still to arrive. The weather needs to change so I have my prayer mat out , hoping for some warm southerly winds.
Sunday 26 April 2015
Bl;ackcap Bounce
A busy week on the patch resulting a jump of 4 species to add to the patch list for the year. In the brief visits I managed in the week the first new year tick was in the form of the first 8 House Martins of the year over Town Street farm .Also of note on that day was a calling Curlew and a fine male Sparrowhawk.
I managed a quick blast onto the patch on Tuesday and Summer migrant numbers were still low but a flock of 6 Meadow Pipits over to the north were a surprise .A good garden tick came in the form of 2 rather juicy and sexy looking garden Bullfinch, the first for a few weeks now.
So Wednesday brought me one of the best birds that pass through in the spring and summer in the form of a fine looking male Wheatear which spent two days on a bare field just above the cottage before moving on .
So by the time Saturday arrived Willow and I were hitting the patch by 6.30am and it was obvious that there had been a fall of birds around the area.
The first bird we heard was a calling Green Woodpecker and it was kept company by a drumming Greater Spotted which was nearby.
The most plentiful bird of the day was 13 plus Blackcap which seemed to have arrived in force ,birds were singing from hedges trees and even the smallest areas of cover. Chiffchaffs had crept up a little with 7 plus been seen or heard and its close cousin the Willow Warbler numbered 2 .
A good bird to see were the 3 Lesser Whitethroat which kept the still low numbers of Whitethroats (2) company .
Overhead 6 plus Swallow passed over and there were 7 House Martins over Town Street farm, still no passing Sand Martins yet though .
On the pastures were 2 Red Legged Partridge , one of which posed nicely on a fence post for awhile.4 Skylarks praised the heavens but their numbers seem down on last year . However Stock Doves seem to have increased on the patch as far as breeding birds are concerned.
A nice surprise was an over flying Little Egret which headed towards the river meadows from where the best sign of spring was heard in the form of a calling Cuckoo ,later on another Cuckoo passed over head flying strongly north .A great tick for the year and proof that spring has arrived.
The final sight of note was that of a Lapwing which moved north .That is very late sighting for this species on the patch even though they are at Coombe Hill Meadows and sometimes Ashleworth Ham both which are close to here.
On the raptor front just a single Buzzard today.
So Sunday dawned and I was full of hope that even more birds would of been dropped upon us, but alas it was not to be, but that been said the walk was not without its merits as the patch will always give you something to see.
A search of the hedgerows found 11 plus Chiffchaff ,so a few more than yesterday ,still 2 Willow Warblers ,both which are singing from the same areas as yesterday . Blackcaps numbered 10 plus today and there were 3 Whitethroats but no Lesser today. The best bird however was a singing Yellowhammer on the edge of the patch ,a bird which is sadly lacking from around here.
Overhead a few Swallows moved over but they numbered only 4 plus and 3 House Martins were still around Town Street farm. A surprise was a nice flock of 8 migrant Linnet which kept our resident pair company briefly. Winter still lingered in the form of 2 Meadow Pipits which sprang from the long grass ,both headed northwards quickly.
Around the feet of the cattle 3 Pied wagtails fed and 2 Red Legged partridges called from cover. The 4 Skylarks kept singing their heads off. Stock Doves numbered 10 today.
From the river meadows called a distant Cuckoo .
The raptor front came up trumps today with 6 Buzzard a female Kestrel and the 68th species of the year in the form of a superb Red Kite which drifted north just after midday.
The best of the rest were the usual Green Woodpecker, Greater Spotted Woodpecker.
So a busy week on the patch finishes and I expect a few more summer migrants will hopefully arrive next week, so Binos at the ready me thinks.
I managed a quick blast onto the patch on Tuesday and Summer migrant numbers were still low but a flock of 6 Meadow Pipits over to the north were a surprise .A good garden tick came in the form of 2 rather juicy and sexy looking garden Bullfinch, the first for a few weeks now.
So Wednesday brought me one of the best birds that pass through in the spring and summer in the form of a fine looking male Wheatear which spent two days on a bare field just above the cottage before moving on .
So by the time Saturday arrived Willow and I were hitting the patch by 6.30am and it was obvious that there had been a fall of birds around the area.
The first bird we heard was a calling Green Woodpecker and it was kept company by a drumming Greater Spotted which was nearby.
The most plentiful bird of the day was 13 plus Blackcap which seemed to have arrived in force ,birds were singing from hedges trees and even the smallest areas of cover. Chiffchaffs had crept up a little with 7 plus been seen or heard and its close cousin the Willow Warbler numbered 2 .
A good bird to see were the 3 Lesser Whitethroat which kept the still low numbers of Whitethroats (2) company .
Overhead 6 plus Swallow passed over and there were 7 House Martins over Town Street farm, still no passing Sand Martins yet though .
On the pastures were 2 Red Legged Partridge , one of which posed nicely on a fence post for awhile.4 Skylarks praised the heavens but their numbers seem down on last year . However Stock Doves seem to have increased on the patch as far as breeding birds are concerned.
A nice surprise was an over flying Little Egret which headed towards the river meadows from where the best sign of spring was heard in the form of a calling Cuckoo ,later on another Cuckoo passed over head flying strongly north .A great tick for the year and proof that spring has arrived.
The final sight of note was that of a Lapwing which moved north .That is very late sighting for this species on the patch even though they are at Coombe Hill Meadows and sometimes Ashleworth Ham both which are close to here.
On the raptor front just a single Buzzard today.
So Sunday dawned and I was full of hope that even more birds would of been dropped upon us, but alas it was not to be, but that been said the walk was not without its merits as the patch will always give you something to see.
A search of the hedgerows found 11 plus Chiffchaff ,so a few more than yesterday ,still 2 Willow Warblers ,both which are singing from the same areas as yesterday . Blackcaps numbered 10 plus today and there were 3 Whitethroats but no Lesser today. The best bird however was a singing Yellowhammer on the edge of the patch ,a bird which is sadly lacking from around here.
Overhead a few Swallows moved over but they numbered only 4 plus and 3 House Martins were still around Town Street farm. A surprise was a nice flock of 8 migrant Linnet which kept our resident pair company briefly. Winter still lingered in the form of 2 Meadow Pipits which sprang from the long grass ,both headed northwards quickly.
Around the feet of the cattle 3 Pied wagtails fed and 2 Red Legged partridges called from cover. The 4 Skylarks kept singing their heads off. Stock Doves numbered 10 today.
From the river meadows called a distant Cuckoo .
The raptor front came up trumps today with 6 Buzzard a female Kestrel and the 68th species of the year in the form of a superb Red Kite which drifted north just after midday.
The best of the rest were the usual Green Woodpecker, Greater Spotted Woodpecker.
So a busy week on the patch finishes and I expect a few more summer migrants will hopefully arrive next week, so Binos at the ready me thinks.
Sunday 19 April 2015
So It Begins
After reading all week of large arrivals of summer migrants the patch has been fairly quiet, although Wednesday was enlivened by the return of one the best birds around here .The sound of the Curlew means that the spring has arrived in nearby river meadows. A few pairs manage to hang on down by the river so when I heard one calling it meant our species list jumped to 62 for the year.
Other birds of note over the last week were a small passage of Willow Warblers with some singing near the cottage ,a vocal Little Owl in the early hours of Thursday morning . Blackcaps were noticeable with their song being the first heard from the cottage since last spring. The last vestiges of winter were seen in the form of 4 Meadow Pipits on Wednesday, they will no doubt be the last ones until Autumn beckons once again .
So it was not until Sunday was I able to get out with Willow so we were out by 7am. The walk started quietly enough and I was beginning to think how hard patch birding was especially with the plethora of birds being so near by ,but we persisted and a good search of the bushes and hedgerows resulted in the fact that a good number of Blackcaps had arrived and a good count of 9 plus been had ,the highest of the Spring so far this year. Chiffchaffs had arrived in smaller numbers but a high count of the Spring this year was had with 6 plus. More will arrive in both cases in the next few days that's for sure.
A familiar song caught my ear and it resulted in finding the first 2 Common Whitethroat ( number 63 ) of the year. As I carried on the song of the Willow warbler rang out ,but in the event it was the only one of the day. A contrast against the last few days previous .
I searched an area in the hope of finding a Wheatear on one of the bare fields but to no avail ,but in one of the nearby hedges the rattle of the first of the Springs Lesser Whitethroat ( number 64 ) caught my attention.
I started to give some attention to what might be passing over and a nice count of 10 plus Swallow zipped over. A little Egret passed towards the river meadows as did a small party of 3 Greylag geese. Aside from that the skies were a blank and I had hoped for a few birds been seen given the clouds that had been lacking over the last few days.
On the pastures 2 Red Legged Partridges broke cover ,and a small count of just 4 Skylarks sang out. We do however seem to have our Linnets back with at least a couple of pairs around and 6 other birds passing over no doubt migrants just passing through on the way north . 8 Stock doves were around their usual haunts and a unseen Raven gronked , as if to advertise its presence.
A drumming Greater Spotted Woodpecker was heard as was at least 2 Green Woodpeckers ,their calls ringing across the patch .
On the raptor front just 2 Buzzards both were worming on a bare field. So we seem to rolling on the Spring bird front and I cannot wait to see what turns up over the next few days.
Other birds of note over the last week were a small passage of Willow Warblers with some singing near the cottage ,a vocal Little Owl in the early hours of Thursday morning . Blackcaps were noticeable with their song being the first heard from the cottage since last spring. The last vestiges of winter were seen in the form of 4 Meadow Pipits on Wednesday, they will no doubt be the last ones until Autumn beckons once again .
So it was not until Sunday was I able to get out with Willow so we were out by 7am. The walk started quietly enough and I was beginning to think how hard patch birding was especially with the plethora of birds being so near by ,but we persisted and a good search of the bushes and hedgerows resulted in the fact that a good number of Blackcaps had arrived and a good count of 9 plus been had ,the highest of the Spring so far this year. Chiffchaffs had arrived in smaller numbers but a high count of the Spring this year was had with 6 plus. More will arrive in both cases in the next few days that's for sure.
A familiar song caught my ear and it resulted in finding the first 2 Common Whitethroat ( number 63 ) of the year. As I carried on the song of the Willow warbler rang out ,but in the event it was the only one of the day. A contrast against the last few days previous .
I searched an area in the hope of finding a Wheatear on one of the bare fields but to no avail ,but in one of the nearby hedges the rattle of the first of the Springs Lesser Whitethroat ( number 64 ) caught my attention.
I started to give some attention to what might be passing over and a nice count of 10 plus Swallow zipped over. A little Egret passed towards the river meadows as did a small party of 3 Greylag geese. Aside from that the skies were a blank and I had hoped for a few birds been seen given the clouds that had been lacking over the last few days.
On the pastures 2 Red Legged Partridges broke cover ,and a small count of just 4 Skylarks sang out. We do however seem to have our Linnets back with at least a couple of pairs around and 6 other birds passing over no doubt migrants just passing through on the way north . 8 Stock doves were around their usual haunts and a unseen Raven gronked , as if to advertise its presence.
A drumming Greater Spotted Woodpecker was heard as was at least 2 Green Woodpeckers ,their calls ringing across the patch .
On the raptor front just 2 Buzzards both were worming on a bare field. So we seem to rolling on the Spring bird front and I cannot wait to see what turns up over the next few days.
Saturday 11 April 2015
An overdue update.
Its been two weeks since I updated the blog so sorry for the break in proceedings, life gets in the way sometimes ! .Last week was notable for just 3 things the lack of migrants in comparison to elsewhere, the addition of the 59 th species of the year for the patch in the form of a stunning male Yellowhammer and cracking view of a Little Owl in the daytime. I have to also confess that I have succumbed to the delights of Ashleworth Ham with its Garganey ,Cranes Swallows and Sand Martins. Its sometimes nice to have a little bit of east birding as patch birding can sometimes be soul destroying (its also worth mentioning that I missed a Great Grey Shrike at Ashleworth as I was working ).
So Saturday was a different kettle of fish after a warm dry week with blustery showers a gusty wind and a cooler feel to than of late. As we finished our walk the weather was in a better frame of mind.
Willow and I were out to find some summer migrants this morning as everywhere appeared to have been awash with birds this past week.
A good search of the hedges and bushes did find a slight increase in Chiffchaffs with 7 today and the best bird for me today was the first singing Willow Warbler of the year. Number 60 in the bag for the year. A surprise was the lack of Blackcaps they seem to late in arriving on the patch this year and so far we have had just a couple of birds pass through .
There did seem to be a bit of overhead passage and the first Linnets for months passed over with 25 plus this morning ,a flock of 20 was nice to see. A small number of Meadow Pipits were on the deck with 6 this morning and its always a special moment when the first Swallows appear on the patch with 2 zooming through northwards .( 61 species ticked). .
On the pastures 10 Stock Doves were dotted about and at least 8 plus Skylarks were in fine voice. Its nice to report a Mistle Thrush at this time of year so maybe we have a pair in the vicinity or it could of been a migrant bird.
A Red Legged Partridge was heard but not seen and a Jay was seen near to the cottage. There were also a unruly gang of around 30 plus Lesser Blacked Backed and Herring Gulls on pastureland.
It was a good day on the raptor front with a female Kestrel, 2 Buzzard and a Sparrowhawk which was mobbed by the local Jackdaws.
The final birds of note were 2 Pied Wagtail at a nearby farm site
So we are at 61 species for the year so far and in the next couple of weeks we can hope for it the jump up a bit. Heres hoping
So Saturday was a different kettle of fish after a warm dry week with blustery showers a gusty wind and a cooler feel to than of late. As we finished our walk the weather was in a better frame of mind.
Willow and I were out to find some summer migrants this morning as everywhere appeared to have been awash with birds this past week.
A good search of the hedges and bushes did find a slight increase in Chiffchaffs with 7 today and the best bird for me today was the first singing Willow Warbler of the year. Number 60 in the bag for the year. A surprise was the lack of Blackcaps they seem to late in arriving on the patch this year and so far we have had just a couple of birds pass through .
There did seem to be a bit of overhead passage and the first Linnets for months passed over with 25 plus this morning ,a flock of 20 was nice to see. A small number of Meadow Pipits were on the deck with 6 this morning and its always a special moment when the first Swallows appear on the patch with 2 zooming through northwards .( 61 species ticked). .
On the pastures 10 Stock Doves were dotted about and at least 8 plus Skylarks were in fine voice. Its nice to report a Mistle Thrush at this time of year so maybe we have a pair in the vicinity or it could of been a migrant bird.
A Red Legged Partridge was heard but not seen and a Jay was seen near to the cottage. There were also a unruly gang of around 30 plus Lesser Blacked Backed and Herring Gulls on pastureland.
It was a good day on the raptor front with a female Kestrel, 2 Buzzard and a Sparrowhawk which was mobbed by the local Jackdaws.
The final birds of note were 2 Pied Wagtail at a nearby farm site
So we are at 61 species for the year so far and in the next couple of weeks we can hope for it the jump up a bit. Heres hoping
Sunday 29 March 2015
Spring Stalls as Winter hangs on
The last week on the patch has been very quiet with the main high light being a very brief singing Blackcap midweek , it has not been seen or heard of since so must of been in a hurry to carry on North. I had seen a couple in the winter so it may of been a departing bird or maybe an arriving summer migrant.
Apart from that a calling Tawny Owl was the only other real high light in a week short of any other summer migrants.
So when Willow and I hit the patch on Saturday we did not expect to find anything out of the ordinary .The weather was grey and breezy with the odd shower not very spring like at all !
The only Summer migrant that we are recording at the moment is small numbers of Chiffchaffs that are passing through at the moment. A bird seems to have set up territory in nexts doors orchard and as such is in fine voice. I managed to find 4 on Saturday including a bird in hedgerow after a sharp shower so maybe it was passing overhead and had been brought down by the rain .
The winter hangs on in the form of winter Thrush with a fine flock of 150 plus Fieldfare which have been feeding in the top fields , a single Redwing was heard passing over and a Mistle Thrush was in a tree near to the cottage. There appears to be plenty of singing Song Thrush around as well.
On the pastures 8 Stock Doves were seen and 5 Skylarks were singing their hearts out in the belief that spring must arrive soon.
The trickle of Pied Wagtails continues with 6 passing over. The best bird of Saturday was a very approachable Raven which seemed quite happy for Willow and I to stop and get a good luck .They really are massive when you see them on the ground .
The best of the rest (it was a poor morning were a Green Woodpecker, Greater Spotted Woodpecker and 3 Buzzard.
With the clocks going forward and the start of British Summer time it was only normal for it to be smashing down with rain and a howling gale to be taking place.
I was pretty reluctant to go out but Willow can be pretty persistent and lays on the guilt trip so I was out the door by 8am.
It was more of the same fair really with a single Chiffchaff singing and plenty of resident bird song going.
Winter Thrush consisted of 92 plus Fieldfare and again a single Redwing. On the pastures were a good count of 10 plus Stock Dove and Skylarks kept on singing with 6 doing their best in the howling wind .
A small group of gulls consisted of 15 Lesser Black Backed, 5 Herring and 1 Common Gull feeding on sheep pasture. The only other birds of note on the fields were 4 Pied wagtails.
On the raptor font a single Buzzard was seen worming and a large female Sparrow Hawk put the fear of God into the local Blackbirds.
An unusual sound was that of a calling Moorhen ,confirmation that our birds seem to have returned for the summer .
The usual Green and Greater Spotted Woodpeckers were noted. So a very quiet week ends and with the weather not looking good it might be the same this upcoming week.
The best birds of the week for me were 2 Common Crane which visited nearby Ashleworth Ham on Saturday evening .They were found by local birders Alan Hooper and Steve French aka The orchard Centre Crew , a good sighting and it was nice to chat to some local birders and just see whats going on the local bird scene Alan and Steve are building a nice list at a young site and you can find Steves blog if you visit the Gloster Birder site. Although not on the local patch it was hard to resist not going to see them .
Apart from that a calling Tawny Owl was the only other real high light in a week short of any other summer migrants.
So when Willow and I hit the patch on Saturday we did not expect to find anything out of the ordinary .The weather was grey and breezy with the odd shower not very spring like at all !
The only Summer migrant that we are recording at the moment is small numbers of Chiffchaffs that are passing through at the moment. A bird seems to have set up territory in nexts doors orchard and as such is in fine voice. I managed to find 4 on Saturday including a bird in hedgerow after a sharp shower so maybe it was passing overhead and had been brought down by the rain .
The winter hangs on in the form of winter Thrush with a fine flock of 150 plus Fieldfare which have been feeding in the top fields , a single Redwing was heard passing over and a Mistle Thrush was in a tree near to the cottage. There appears to be plenty of singing Song Thrush around as well.
On the pastures 8 Stock Doves were seen and 5 Skylarks were singing their hearts out in the belief that spring must arrive soon.
The trickle of Pied Wagtails continues with 6 passing over. The best bird of Saturday was a very approachable Raven which seemed quite happy for Willow and I to stop and get a good luck .They really are massive when you see them on the ground .
The best of the rest (it was a poor morning were a Green Woodpecker, Greater Spotted Woodpecker and 3 Buzzard.
With the clocks going forward and the start of British Summer time it was only normal for it to be smashing down with rain and a howling gale to be taking place.
I was pretty reluctant to go out but Willow can be pretty persistent and lays on the guilt trip so I was out the door by 8am.
It was more of the same fair really with a single Chiffchaff singing and plenty of resident bird song going.
Winter Thrush consisted of 92 plus Fieldfare and again a single Redwing. On the pastures were a good count of 10 plus Stock Dove and Skylarks kept on singing with 6 doing their best in the howling wind .
A small group of gulls consisted of 15 Lesser Black Backed, 5 Herring and 1 Common Gull feeding on sheep pasture. The only other birds of note on the fields were 4 Pied wagtails.
On the raptor font a single Buzzard was seen worming and a large female Sparrow Hawk put the fear of God into the local Blackbirds.
An unusual sound was that of a calling Moorhen ,confirmation that our birds seem to have returned for the summer .
The usual Green and Greater Spotted Woodpeckers were noted. So a very quiet week ends and with the weather not looking good it might be the same this upcoming week.
The best birds of the week for me were 2 Common Crane which visited nearby Ashleworth Ham on Saturday evening .They were found by local birders Alan Hooper and Steve French aka The orchard Centre Crew , a good sighting and it was nice to chat to some local birders and just see whats going on the local bird scene Alan and Steve are building a nice list at a young site and you can find Steves blog if you visit the Gloster Birder site. Although not on the local patch it was hard to resist not going to see them .
Sunday 22 March 2015
Winters last /Summers first
The last week has seen a few birds move through the patch with winters birds overlapping the first of the spring migrants.
On Wednesday in a quick lunch time dash on only part of the patch I found the first 3 Chiffchaff of the year ( number 57 for the year ) along the magic hedgerow , they were feeding quietly all in the same bush ,one bird looked very grey but I am not brave enough to claim a Sibe , along side them was another migrant Gold crest .They were obviously newly arrived birds as they fed very close to where I was standing ,unconcerned about my presence. also seen on my dash was another Sparrowhawk which passed over and a good count of 11 Buzzards were up enjoying the conditions. Add to that a pair of displaying Ravens and it turned out to be a good little half an hour.
So when Saturday arrived Willow and I were out by 7.30am .We emerged into bright sunshine if not a little colder than of late.
The first bird to hit the radar was a calling Green Woodpecker but as usual we did not see it ,we did however see another later on in the walk .The other member of the woodpecker family we see here The Greater Spotted got into the act with 1 drumming bird and then a flyover pair .
Winter Thrush have still been passing through and after seeing small numbers of Redwings ( 1 to 5 birds), it was a surprise to find 28 plus birds including one flock of 21 that passed over due north. Fieldfares have been seen in just ones and twos of late so when I entered the top field s I was not expecting a large flock of 141 plus ! They have been in much lower numbers of late so these must be passing migrants.
Along side them were a nice number of 9 Skylarks many of which were singing . A small number of 7 Meadow Pipits passed over north.
From somewhere in the hedges called a Red Legged Partridge and a nice showing of 8 Stock Dove was nice. After a few days of double figure counts of Pied Wagtails it was back to earth on Saturday with just 2 seen .I have not found a White wagtail yet in amongst the smart Pied yet.
After the winters absence it was great to hear the song of 4 newly arrived Chiffchaffs ,they will increase over the next few weeks, although looking back they were 3 days later than last year.
On the raptor front a female Kestrel was seen getting a good kicking from the local Jackdaws and 3 Buzzards were up and about. Species number 58 then appeared on the radar when a Little Owl was heard calling from one of the old trees ,it must have had a bad night as it was calling at 8.45am.
A single Jay was seen flying strongly northwards. On the pastureland a good size flock of 30 plus Lesser Blacked Backed Gulls and 18 Herring Gulls were present.
So with a good Saturday in the bag it seemed only right that we would find our first Wheatear on a grey but milder Sunday morning , well we didn't and overall it seemed a fairly quiet and disappointing walk, but as usual the patch will always find a little something to keep you coming back.
The first part of the walk was pretty quiet with very little to report apart from the good numbers of Skylarks which were singing, I counted 8 in the end. There appeared to be a few more Pied wagtails passing this morning but we still only counted a total of 6 in the end.
On the pastures were a Red Legged Partridge ,a count of 11 Stock Dove which is almost usual now.
As I neared the old orchard an unfamiliar song rang out ,I knew from it somewhere and it proved that I was right in searching the old grey matter when I saw a Redwing in full song .I had heard when in Northern Finland a few summers ago. In the end I counted just 4 Redwing in total will they be the last until the Autumn ?
As I walked further on a single Meadow Pipit passed over northwards, but my attention was then drawn to a further flock of 30 plus which landed a ploughed field. They seemed to have dropped from on high as I had not even clocked them until they were almost above me.
From the nearby trees and hedges 2 Chiffchaff called there numbers down from yesterday ,no doubt the other birds had moved on.
Getting to the top fields I soon picked out a few Fieldfares but all of sudden they all erupted into the air and over 240 plus were counted along side 80 plus Starling ,at first I was annoyed with myself but suddenly realised it was not me that had put them to flight but a superb male Peregrine Falcon which screamed through the centre of the wheeling flock. Bloody fantastic !
The best of the rest were 2 Green Woodpecker, 2 Greater Spotted Woodpecker and 2 Buzzard.
So winter birds still linger with us and the first summer migrants are starting to arrive and we found 2 new species for the year although I think we may be a bit behind last year at his same point.
Things should start to quicken up in the next few weeks, so in the words of Shaw Taylor "keep em peeled".
On Wednesday in a quick lunch time dash on only part of the patch I found the first 3 Chiffchaff of the year ( number 57 for the year ) along the magic hedgerow , they were feeding quietly all in the same bush ,one bird looked very grey but I am not brave enough to claim a Sibe , along side them was another migrant Gold crest .They were obviously newly arrived birds as they fed very close to where I was standing ,unconcerned about my presence. also seen on my dash was another Sparrowhawk which passed over and a good count of 11 Buzzards were up enjoying the conditions. Add to that a pair of displaying Ravens and it turned out to be a good little half an hour.
So when Saturday arrived Willow and I were out by 7.30am .We emerged into bright sunshine if not a little colder than of late.
The first bird to hit the radar was a calling Green Woodpecker but as usual we did not see it ,we did however see another later on in the walk .The other member of the woodpecker family we see here The Greater Spotted got into the act with 1 drumming bird and then a flyover pair .
Winter Thrush have still been passing through and after seeing small numbers of Redwings ( 1 to 5 birds), it was a surprise to find 28 plus birds including one flock of 21 that passed over due north. Fieldfares have been seen in just ones and twos of late so when I entered the top field s I was not expecting a large flock of 141 plus ! They have been in much lower numbers of late so these must be passing migrants.
Along side them were a nice number of 9 Skylarks many of which were singing . A small number of 7 Meadow Pipits passed over north.
From somewhere in the hedges called a Red Legged Partridge and a nice showing of 8 Stock Dove was nice. After a few days of double figure counts of Pied Wagtails it was back to earth on Saturday with just 2 seen .I have not found a White wagtail yet in amongst the smart Pied yet.
After the winters absence it was great to hear the song of 4 newly arrived Chiffchaffs ,they will increase over the next few weeks, although looking back they were 3 days later than last year.
On the raptor front a female Kestrel was seen getting a good kicking from the local Jackdaws and 3 Buzzards were up and about. Species number 58 then appeared on the radar when a Little Owl was heard calling from one of the old trees ,it must have had a bad night as it was calling at 8.45am.
A single Jay was seen flying strongly northwards. On the pastureland a good size flock of 30 plus Lesser Blacked Backed Gulls and 18 Herring Gulls were present.
So with a good Saturday in the bag it seemed only right that we would find our first Wheatear on a grey but milder Sunday morning , well we didn't and overall it seemed a fairly quiet and disappointing walk, but as usual the patch will always find a little something to keep you coming back.
The first part of the walk was pretty quiet with very little to report apart from the good numbers of Skylarks which were singing, I counted 8 in the end. There appeared to be a few more Pied wagtails passing this morning but we still only counted a total of 6 in the end.
On the pastures were a Red Legged Partridge ,a count of 11 Stock Dove which is almost usual now.
As I neared the old orchard an unfamiliar song rang out ,I knew from it somewhere and it proved that I was right in searching the old grey matter when I saw a Redwing in full song .I had heard when in Northern Finland a few summers ago. In the end I counted just 4 Redwing in total will they be the last until the Autumn ?
As I walked further on a single Meadow Pipit passed over northwards, but my attention was then drawn to a further flock of 30 plus which landed a ploughed field. They seemed to have dropped from on high as I had not even clocked them until they were almost above me.
From the nearby trees and hedges 2 Chiffchaff called there numbers down from yesterday ,no doubt the other birds had moved on.
Getting to the top fields I soon picked out a few Fieldfares but all of sudden they all erupted into the air and over 240 plus were counted along side 80 plus Starling ,at first I was annoyed with myself but suddenly realised it was not me that had put them to flight but a superb male Peregrine Falcon which screamed through the centre of the wheeling flock. Bloody fantastic !
The best of the rest were 2 Green Woodpecker, 2 Greater Spotted Woodpecker and 2 Buzzard.
So winter birds still linger with us and the first summer migrants are starting to arrive and we found 2 new species for the year although I think we may be a bit behind last year at his same point.
Things should start to quicken up in the next few weeks, so in the words of Shaw Taylor "keep em peeled".
Sunday 15 March 2015
Glad to be back
With 2 weeks being off the patch due to working abroad, Willow and I were out early by 6.30am . The weather was grey ,with cold north wind and the odd bout of drizzle .It was in stark contrast to the weather I had enjoyed when working in Holland.
I was hoping to pick up the first spring migrant but I failed in that quest but I did however manage to see a few birds on the move.
Overhead there was some movement with a good steady flow of Lesser Black Backed Gulls moving north ,some where in the region of 100 plus moved over along with smaller numbers of Herring , Black Headed and Common Gulls . Along side them were a good number of Starlings that headed north for about an hour just after 6,30am , some 850 plus were counted .Winter Thrush are still about with 50 Fieldfare which flew over due north and a further 20 plus were on the top fields. In sharp contrast were the small number of Redwings with just 4 seen this morning ,3 over north and a single bird in cover.
On the pasture land were up to 6 singing Skylarks , many have now left to their breeding grounds else where . In the top fields (which is looking good for Wheatears right now ), there was a mixed flock of 10 plus Pied Wagtails and 10 plus Meadow Pipits .
At last I have something to report from the hedgerows with the finding of 2 migrant Gold crest, I was hoping for an early Chiffchaff but it was a sign of some spring migrants moving ,it also brought the number of species seen this year to 55 .
Its pleasing to also report 3 Ravens around after a few weeks absence. As I walked along the edge of the top fields 2 birds leapt from the field edge and into a nearby hedgerow, getting my bins onto them brought me a cracking view of 2 male Reed Bunting ,with a good number seen on a fellow birders patch at Hartpury , it was nice to eventually borrow a couple. They are most likely birds moving to their breeding grounds elsewhere as they do not as far as I know breed on the patch . So in 2 brief moments two new species were added to the year list with Reed Bunting taking us to 56 .
We still seem to be hanging onto a few more Stock Doves than normal with 8 plus seen around the patch .There were some that were singing and displaying around the breeding areas.
On the Woodpecker front there were 3 drumming Greater Spotted and 1 plus calling Green Woodpecker although once again I never caught sight of it.
The best of the rest was a single Buzzard.
So the species list jumps to 56
I was hoping to pick up the first spring migrant but I failed in that quest but I did however manage to see a few birds on the move.
Overhead there was some movement with a good steady flow of Lesser Black Backed Gulls moving north ,some where in the region of 100 plus moved over along with smaller numbers of Herring , Black Headed and Common Gulls . Along side them were a good number of Starlings that headed north for about an hour just after 6,30am , some 850 plus were counted .Winter Thrush are still about with 50 Fieldfare which flew over due north and a further 20 plus were on the top fields. In sharp contrast were the small number of Redwings with just 4 seen this morning ,3 over north and a single bird in cover.
On the pasture land were up to 6 singing Skylarks , many have now left to their breeding grounds else where . In the top fields (which is looking good for Wheatears right now ), there was a mixed flock of 10 plus Pied Wagtails and 10 plus Meadow Pipits .
At last I have something to report from the hedgerows with the finding of 2 migrant Gold crest, I was hoping for an early Chiffchaff but it was a sign of some spring migrants moving ,it also brought the number of species seen this year to 55 .
Its pleasing to also report 3 Ravens around after a few weeks absence. As I walked along the edge of the top fields 2 birds leapt from the field edge and into a nearby hedgerow, getting my bins onto them brought me a cracking view of 2 male Reed Bunting ,with a good number seen on a fellow birders patch at Hartpury , it was nice to eventually borrow a couple. They are most likely birds moving to their breeding grounds elsewhere as they do not as far as I know breed on the patch . So in 2 brief moments two new species were added to the year list with Reed Bunting taking us to 56 .
We still seem to be hanging onto a few more Stock Doves than normal with 8 plus seen around the patch .There were some that were singing and displaying around the breeding areas.
On the Woodpecker front there were 3 drumming Greater Spotted and 1 plus calling Green Woodpecker although once again I never caught sight of it.
The best of the rest was a single Buzzard.
So the species list jumps to 56
Monday 2 March 2015
SpringTwitch
The end of February and already into March and the first signs of Spring on the patch . Despite the weather which is more in the vain of winter with hail showers and heavy winds. When the sun does manage to shine there is however the faint glimmer of warmth in its rays.
The last week has been dominated by the passage of large numbers of Redwings and Fieldfares that have passed through the patch. They have been accompanied by a reasonable number of Starlings and three figure counts of all three species have been a regular feature of the week . The other bird of note in the week has been a couple of Sparrow hawks that have been seen.
It was not until Saturday afternoon that Willow and I got onto the patch and I did not expect any great shakes with the hour being a lot later than our usual jaunt time .
One of the first things I noticed was the large number of Stock Dove that were around the patch and a count of 34 was noted. They must in some part be early spring migrants as I also noted a small but steady north passage of Woodpigeons.
The winter Thrush bonanza continued with 105 plus Fieldfare and 55 plus Redwing .We now have more normal numbers of Blackbirds although I still managed at least 7 plus Song Thrush .
On the pasture were just 10 Skylark and with them just 11 Meadow Pipit ,there will be more of each as birds pass northwards in the near future.
The only other thing of note was 4 Cormorant which passed downriver and a scattering of Chaffinch (a flock of 20 ) and a flock of 12 Goldfinch which passed north west.
So we were up and at em on Sunday and Willow and I were on the patch by 7.30 am Sunday morning. It was a clear sunny morning , just perfect to be out and about on the patch .
First bird seen was one of the garden Jays feeding on the lawn ,a good start.
As we left the cottage 2 Greater Spotted Woodpeckers were drumming ,a good spring time sound . The other usual woodpecker species the Green called from somewhere in the distance. On the pastures there were at least 12 Skylark with up too 4 singing, a great sound and a perfect sign that for mother nature Spring is around the corner.
A nice flock of migrant Meadow Pipits were on the edge of the patch with a flock of 50 plus and another small flock of 5 elsewhere on the patch . They do not stay for long and its really amazing to see the turn over in numbers daily. Fieldfares were down with 60 plus but Redwings numbered at least 110 plus today. There were 8 plus Song Thrush with at least 5 singing.
Elsewhere a single Red Legged Partridge dived for cover as we approached and Stock Doves were still in higher than normal numbers with 15 plus.
The distant sound of a flock of 7 Canadian Geese brought my attention to 3 Mute Swans as they flew towards the fishing ponds that brought up the number of species to 53 for the year .
The small passage of spring time Pied Wagtails continues with 7 on the patch . The final bird of the day of note was again nothing rare but the sound of a Moorhen calling from one of the flooded ditches and close to where they bred last year was a sign of some of the patches summer visitors are arriving .It also was the 54th species for 2015. So although nothing startling was seen 2 new species for the year and a few signs of a change in the seasons.
The last week has been dominated by the passage of large numbers of Redwings and Fieldfares that have passed through the patch. They have been accompanied by a reasonable number of Starlings and three figure counts of all three species have been a regular feature of the week . The other bird of note in the week has been a couple of Sparrow hawks that have been seen.
It was not until Saturday afternoon that Willow and I got onto the patch and I did not expect any great shakes with the hour being a lot later than our usual jaunt time .
One of the first things I noticed was the large number of Stock Dove that were around the patch and a count of 34 was noted. They must in some part be early spring migrants as I also noted a small but steady north passage of Woodpigeons.
The winter Thrush bonanza continued with 105 plus Fieldfare and 55 plus Redwing .We now have more normal numbers of Blackbirds although I still managed at least 7 plus Song Thrush .
On the pasture were just 10 Skylark and with them just 11 Meadow Pipit ,there will be more of each as birds pass northwards in the near future.
The only other thing of note was 4 Cormorant which passed downriver and a scattering of Chaffinch (a flock of 20 ) and a flock of 12 Goldfinch which passed north west.
So we were up and at em on Sunday and Willow and I were on the patch by 7.30 am Sunday morning. It was a clear sunny morning , just perfect to be out and about on the patch .
First bird seen was one of the garden Jays feeding on the lawn ,a good start.
As we left the cottage 2 Greater Spotted Woodpeckers were drumming ,a good spring time sound . The other usual woodpecker species the Green called from somewhere in the distance. On the pastures there were at least 12 Skylark with up too 4 singing, a great sound and a perfect sign that for mother nature Spring is around the corner.
A nice flock of migrant Meadow Pipits were on the edge of the patch with a flock of 50 plus and another small flock of 5 elsewhere on the patch . They do not stay for long and its really amazing to see the turn over in numbers daily. Fieldfares were down with 60 plus but Redwings numbered at least 110 plus today. There were 8 plus Song Thrush with at least 5 singing.
Elsewhere a single Red Legged Partridge dived for cover as we approached and Stock Doves were still in higher than normal numbers with 15 plus.
The distant sound of a flock of 7 Canadian Geese brought my attention to 3 Mute Swans as they flew towards the fishing ponds that brought up the number of species to 53 for the year .
The small passage of spring time Pied Wagtails continues with 7 on the patch . The final bird of the day of note was again nothing rare but the sound of a Moorhen calling from one of the flooded ditches and close to where they bred last year was a sign of some of the patches summer visitors are arriving .It also was the 54th species for 2015. So although nothing startling was seen 2 new species for the year and a few signs of a change in the seasons.
Sunday 22 February 2015
Peregrine pair
The last week brought our species total for the patch to 52 with a cracking pair of Peregrine Falcons that were stooping at the resident flock of feral doves that inhabit one of the local barns ,fantastic to watch and a great bird to see at any time of the year.
There have been a few signs of early spring with the first Linnet seen on Tuesday for quite awhile and a number of singing Skylark over the fields. The other feature has been the number of winter Thrush that have passed through the patch ,its usual as birds filter back North and Eastwards . Its the same with Starlings and numbers have been on the rise as a result.
So Sunday was the only day we could get out and Willow and I were out by 7.30am .There had been a frost ahead of the forecasted wet weather and it felt bone chilling whilst walking about.
The first bird seen was a Jay that has been visiting the garden of late and whilst out another one was heard , perhaps they have been there all along but just gone a bit quiet of late.
The whole patch was covered in Thrush this morning with at least 150 plus Redwing and 250 plus Fieldfares , they were bouncing all over the fields and hedges .The birds are looking really dapper as they prepare to leave for the north lands. The other bird that is keeping them company is the Starling with at least 800 plus on the patch this morning.
We still appear to have our winter Blackbirds in residence with 26 plus on the patch this morning.
Overhead a few bids passed over with a decent showing of Lapwings with 137 plus seen and a/some Golden Plover were heard but I could not manage to pick them up out of the big blue. A Cormorant passed heading due East , may be a departing winter visitor ?
On the pastures themselves a few Meadow Pipits are about ,but there were only 10 birds this morning, more will pass through as the spring proceeds. Skylarks numbered 10 plus today with at least 3 singing. Stock Dove are displaying and singing with 10 seen around their usual breeding areas.
The Wagtail passage still trickles through with at least 15 pus today, but I have yet to find a White in amongst them yet. The Woodpecker family got into the act with a Greater Spotted flying over and 1 plus Green calling from around the patch.
The other two species of note that passed over ,were a Raven carrying what looked like his breakfast and a Grey Heron which was heading north .
So the species list for this year stands at 52 .
There have been a few signs of early spring with the first Linnet seen on Tuesday for quite awhile and a number of singing Skylark over the fields. The other feature has been the number of winter Thrush that have passed through the patch ,its usual as birds filter back North and Eastwards . Its the same with Starlings and numbers have been on the rise as a result.
So Sunday was the only day we could get out and Willow and I were out by 7.30am .There had been a frost ahead of the forecasted wet weather and it felt bone chilling whilst walking about.
The first bird seen was a Jay that has been visiting the garden of late and whilst out another one was heard , perhaps they have been there all along but just gone a bit quiet of late.
The whole patch was covered in Thrush this morning with at least 150 plus Redwing and 250 plus Fieldfares , they were bouncing all over the fields and hedges .The birds are looking really dapper as they prepare to leave for the north lands. The other bird that is keeping them company is the Starling with at least 800 plus on the patch this morning.
We still appear to have our winter Blackbirds in residence with 26 plus on the patch this morning.
Overhead a few bids passed over with a decent showing of Lapwings with 137 plus seen and a/some Golden Plover were heard but I could not manage to pick them up out of the big blue. A Cormorant passed heading due East , may be a departing winter visitor ?
On the pastures themselves a few Meadow Pipits are about ,but there were only 10 birds this morning, more will pass through as the spring proceeds. Skylarks numbered 10 plus today with at least 3 singing. Stock Dove are displaying and singing with 10 seen around their usual breeding areas.
The Wagtail passage still trickles through with at least 15 pus today, but I have yet to find a White in amongst them yet. The Woodpecker family got into the act with a Greater Spotted flying over and 1 plus Green calling from around the patch.
The other two species of note that passed over ,were a Raven carrying what looked like his breakfast and a Grey Heron which was heading north .
So the species list for this year stands at 52 .
Sunday 15 February 2015
Back on the patch
Getting back on the patch was on the agenda having been in Holland for the last week with work. I was so busy so no time for any birding but just driving I saw Great White Egret, White Stork ,thousands of Duck , Lapwing , Shelducks and loads more great birds.
So I was hopeful of finding the bird that would get us into the fifties and Willow and I were out by 8.30 ish. The first thing I noted was that it was a lot milder and there was plenty of bird song from the resident species in particular Song Thrush with up to 8 singing around the patch .
Winter Thrush were still on the patch with 43 plus Redwing and a healthy 56 plus Fieldfare ,some birds looked as if they were heading a north easterly direction and we can expect an upsurge in numbers as birds pass through as they head north to their breeding grounds . The other Thrush species were 2 high flying Mistle thrush heading north east and we are still we are covered in a blanket of Blackbirds with 31 plus seen on Saturday.
A sure sign of early spring was a flock of 16 Pied Wagtail which fed in a recently harvested fodder beet field, around 12 Meadow Pipits kept them company .In the top fields a recently arrived flock of 50 plus Meadow Pipits fed. So in the end a good count of 63 plus birds were seen . A scattering of 17 Skylarks were on various fields and a couple are now singing. Starlings seem to be building up in numbers as they prepare to leave for the summer months, I counted around 150 plus today.
As I turned for home a flock of birds caught my eye and there was number 51 for the year on the patch , a fantastic flock of 61 plus Golden Plover moved over in a North Easterly direction. A good bird to see on the patch and a real special bird for me as they represent the wild north lands.
Overhead a flock of 8 Greylag Geese headed for the river meadows and a male Kestrel flew over calling as it went.
On the pastures Stock Doves were represented with 6 birds seen around their breeding areas. In the hedges apart from the usual resident birds 3 superb Bullfinch were seen .
Woodpeckers were represented with 3 Greater Spotted Woodpeckers ,the first 2 been seen in the cottage garden and 2 Green Woodpeckers called from around the area.
The other bird of note were 3 Buzzards .
Sunday was a tad colder but as far as the birds were concerned it was more of the same but with exception that winter Thrush were blanketing the patch with good counts of 177 plus Fieldfare and 202 Redwings , its usual that we see good counts at this time of year as birds pass through . Other Thrush were 26 plus Blackbird , 2 Mistle Thrush and a good count of 9 Song Thrush .
Around the fields 10 Stock Dove were seen and a small count of just 5 Meadow Pipits were about the rest having moved through . Skylarks were also down in numbers with 9 over the fields .
The small flock of 12 Pied wagtails still fed in the same area .
Overhead a soaring Grey Heron put in an appearance and 150 plus Starling passed over in a general Northerly direction .
Raptors were represented by 2 Buzzards and a female Kestrel .
So we now have a total of 51 species for the patch for the year so far.
So I was hopeful of finding the bird that would get us into the fifties and Willow and I were out by 8.30 ish. The first thing I noted was that it was a lot milder and there was plenty of bird song from the resident species in particular Song Thrush with up to 8 singing around the patch .
Winter Thrush were still on the patch with 43 plus Redwing and a healthy 56 plus Fieldfare ,some birds looked as if they were heading a north easterly direction and we can expect an upsurge in numbers as birds pass through as they head north to their breeding grounds . The other Thrush species were 2 high flying Mistle thrush heading north east and we are still we are covered in a blanket of Blackbirds with 31 plus seen on Saturday.
A sure sign of early spring was a flock of 16 Pied Wagtail which fed in a recently harvested fodder beet field, around 12 Meadow Pipits kept them company .In the top fields a recently arrived flock of 50 plus Meadow Pipits fed. So in the end a good count of 63 plus birds were seen . A scattering of 17 Skylarks were on various fields and a couple are now singing. Starlings seem to be building up in numbers as they prepare to leave for the summer months, I counted around 150 plus today.
As I turned for home a flock of birds caught my eye and there was number 51 for the year on the patch , a fantastic flock of 61 plus Golden Plover moved over in a North Easterly direction. A good bird to see on the patch and a real special bird for me as they represent the wild north lands.
Overhead a flock of 8 Greylag Geese headed for the river meadows and a male Kestrel flew over calling as it went.
On the pastures Stock Doves were represented with 6 birds seen around their breeding areas. In the hedges apart from the usual resident birds 3 superb Bullfinch were seen .
Woodpeckers were represented with 3 Greater Spotted Woodpeckers ,the first 2 been seen in the cottage garden and 2 Green Woodpeckers called from around the area.
The other bird of note were 3 Buzzards .
Sunday was a tad colder but as far as the birds were concerned it was more of the same but with exception that winter Thrush were blanketing the patch with good counts of 177 plus Fieldfare and 202 Redwings , its usual that we see good counts at this time of year as birds pass through . Other Thrush were 26 plus Blackbird , 2 Mistle Thrush and a good count of 9 Song Thrush .
Around the fields 10 Stock Dove were seen and a small count of just 5 Meadow Pipits were about the rest having moved through . Skylarks were also down in numbers with 9 over the fields .
The small flock of 12 Pied wagtails still fed in the same area .
Overhead a soaring Grey Heron put in an appearance and 150 plus Starling passed over in a general Northerly direction .
Raptors were represented by 2 Buzzards and a female Kestrel .
So we now have a total of 51 species for the patch for the year so far.
Monday 2 February 2015
50 UP !
Well the weekend past was a really cold affair with a rapier like north wind ,sleet showers ,hard frost and a general cold feel to proceedings. I was hoping the colder weather would bring something a little less usual to the feeders but no such luck. although the feeders have been heaving with all the usual suspects, its costing me a small fortune on bird food .
Saturday started with a sleet shower and then became sunny but very cold. Winter Thrush were scattered over the patch with still good numbers of Blackbirds about I counted 27 plus today along with 11 Fieldfare and 53 plus Redwing .The other Thrush species chipped in with 5 Song and just 1 Mistle Thrush today.
On the pastures themselves bird numbers were down with just 6 Meadow Pipits and a fair number of Skylark with 21 plus , perhaps the odd upturn in numbers are birds just moving around their winter territories or are they birds filtering back north ? .The odd Pied Wagtail put in an appearance and it was fair to say there were a good few Gulls passing over, especially Black Headed with over 100 plus passing north towards feeding grounds on the Cotswold etc, part of me likes to think that they maybe the first spring migrants. Other Gull species were Lesser Black Backed ,Common and Herring.
A small flock of 20 Chaffinch passed west perhaps moving because of the hard weather. Woodpeckers were represented with 2 Greater Spotted Woodpecker ,one of which was drumming and a vocal Green Woodpecker that went unseen .
On the raptor front were 4 Buzzards that seemed to like the conditions and a pair of very vocal Kestrel . So the patch continues in the mid to late winter vain at the moment and although quiet sometimes the odd surprise can occur.
Sunday was brighter although the wind was even more bone numbing !
On the bird front it was much the same as the day before although a good number of Redwing with 98 and 5 Fieldfare were on pasture next to the cottage. Having seen that I thought the patch was going to be in good form but in fact it was very quiet although the blanket of Blackbirds were still in evidence with 34 plus today ,a high count for the winter so far ! .Other winter Thrush today were 54 plus redwing, 19 plus Fieldfare and 3 Mistle Thrush. I am going to miss all these Thrush when they disappear northwards.
Again the pastures were quiet with 8 Meadow Pipits and 14 plus Skylark, maybe the birds were hunkered down against the wind . 8 Stock Dove were around breeding area with some display flying. A few Pied Wagtails passed south west in search of warmer climes perhaps. It was then the highlight of the walk took place when the 50th species popped out of a small pond when a pair of Mallard lept out in front of me , not a rare bird but the first of the year for the patch.
The best of the rest were a flock of 45 Black Headed Gulls which paused to feed amongst a flock of sheep before moving north and a Greater Spotted Woodpecker.
So with January passed we stand at 50 species and with 48 weeks to go I have to find 40 species if I am to reach my goal of 90 species for the year for the patch .Its going to be a tall order so bring on the spring or even better a few cold weather birds.
Saturday started with a sleet shower and then became sunny but very cold. Winter Thrush were scattered over the patch with still good numbers of Blackbirds about I counted 27 plus today along with 11 Fieldfare and 53 plus Redwing .The other Thrush species chipped in with 5 Song and just 1 Mistle Thrush today.
On the pastures themselves bird numbers were down with just 6 Meadow Pipits and a fair number of Skylark with 21 plus , perhaps the odd upturn in numbers are birds just moving around their winter territories or are they birds filtering back north ? .The odd Pied Wagtail put in an appearance and it was fair to say there were a good few Gulls passing over, especially Black Headed with over 100 plus passing north towards feeding grounds on the Cotswold etc, part of me likes to think that they maybe the first spring migrants. Other Gull species were Lesser Black Backed ,Common and Herring.
A small flock of 20 Chaffinch passed west perhaps moving because of the hard weather. Woodpeckers were represented with 2 Greater Spotted Woodpecker ,one of which was drumming and a vocal Green Woodpecker that went unseen .
On the raptor front were 4 Buzzards that seemed to like the conditions and a pair of very vocal Kestrel . So the patch continues in the mid to late winter vain at the moment and although quiet sometimes the odd surprise can occur.
Sunday was brighter although the wind was even more bone numbing !
On the bird front it was much the same as the day before although a good number of Redwing with 98 and 5 Fieldfare were on pasture next to the cottage. Having seen that I thought the patch was going to be in good form but in fact it was very quiet although the blanket of Blackbirds were still in evidence with 34 plus today ,a high count for the winter so far ! .Other winter Thrush today were 54 plus redwing, 19 plus Fieldfare and 3 Mistle Thrush. I am going to miss all these Thrush when they disappear northwards.
Again the pastures were quiet with 8 Meadow Pipits and 14 plus Skylark, maybe the birds were hunkered down against the wind . 8 Stock Dove were around breeding area with some display flying. A few Pied Wagtails passed south west in search of warmer climes perhaps. It was then the highlight of the walk took place when the 50th species popped out of a small pond when a pair of Mallard lept out in front of me , not a rare bird but the first of the year for the patch.
The best of the rest were a flock of 45 Black Headed Gulls which paused to feed amongst a flock of sheep before moving north and a Greater Spotted Woodpecker.
So with January passed we stand at 50 species and with 48 weeks to go I have to find 40 species if I am to reach my goal of 90 species for the year for the patch .Its going to be a tall order so bring on the spring or even better a few cold weather birds.
Wednesday 28 January 2015
An overdue update
Sorry ,I should of done this on Sunday and time seems to have run away from me . So willow and I were out on Saturday and it was still pretty cold with a slight frost. Overall the patch was still pretty quiet and I failed to add to the species list.
Winter Thrush made up the bulk of the sightings with 27 plus Blackbird seen ,its been a great winter for this species .Redwing chipped in with 44 and Fieldfares numbered 34 . Both numbers lower than normal ,but the birds roam over the area so sometimes they will be elsewhere feeding . I could only find 1 Mistle Thrush ,but there must be more around in the vicinity.
On the pastures a healthy 8 Stock Dove fed on the pastureland and a cracking count of 44 plus Skylarks were seen including a flock of 30 overhead. That's a good count for this time of year, again I think these birds range over the area during the winter time.
There were lower numbers of Meadow Pipits today with 16 seen today .They are feeding in the top fields at the moment. Just a single Pied Wagtail kept them company.
In the hedges a superb Male Bullfinch was seen , stunning in the winter light.
The best of the rest were 2 Green Woodpecker, 2 Buzzard and 2 Jay.
Sunday at first appeared to be milder but there was a cold wind so in the end I felt colder than Saturday by the time I had finished the walk.
It was a case of more of the same really with some species in greater numbers other less so. The Thrush family were scattered over the patch today with 20 plus Blackbird, 65 plus Fieldfare ,125 plus Redwing (much higher than yesterday), 8 plus Song Thrush and 4 Mistle Thrush .
It was nice to see 11 lapwing on the patch with 10 flying straight over and 1 dropping briefly onto pasture .I love them , really great birds.
I did manage to find a new species for they ear on the patch in the form of 9 Greylag Geese which passed towards the river meadows .This takes us to 49 species for this little patch of England. What will be the 50th species this year.
A early sign of spring came in the form of a drumming Greater Spotted Woodpecker, with another 2 been seen as well, the other member of the Woodpecker family that we regularly see here chipped in with a Green Woodpecker calling in the distance.
On the pastures there were less Skylarks today only 6 seen today, but one was singing (something was in air) but on the up side a cracking count of 64 plus Meadow Pipits were in the top fields. Again there was only a single Pied Wagtail to keep them company.
On the raptor front a female Kestrel was seen being mobbed by the local Jackdaws. The Stock Dove count was down with 6 seen today.
The best of the rest were 2 Buzzard, 2 Bullfinch, and a single Jay.
Winter Thrush made up the bulk of the sightings with 27 plus Blackbird seen ,its been a great winter for this species .Redwing chipped in with 44 and Fieldfares numbered 34 . Both numbers lower than normal ,but the birds roam over the area so sometimes they will be elsewhere feeding . I could only find 1 Mistle Thrush ,but there must be more around in the vicinity.
On the pastures a healthy 8 Stock Dove fed on the pastureland and a cracking count of 44 plus Skylarks were seen including a flock of 30 overhead. That's a good count for this time of year, again I think these birds range over the area during the winter time.
There were lower numbers of Meadow Pipits today with 16 seen today .They are feeding in the top fields at the moment. Just a single Pied Wagtail kept them company.
In the hedges a superb Male Bullfinch was seen , stunning in the winter light.
The best of the rest were 2 Green Woodpecker, 2 Buzzard and 2 Jay.
Sunday at first appeared to be milder but there was a cold wind so in the end I felt colder than Saturday by the time I had finished the walk.
It was a case of more of the same really with some species in greater numbers other less so. The Thrush family were scattered over the patch today with 20 plus Blackbird, 65 plus Fieldfare ,125 plus Redwing (much higher than yesterday), 8 plus Song Thrush and 4 Mistle Thrush .
It was nice to see 11 lapwing on the patch with 10 flying straight over and 1 dropping briefly onto pasture .I love them , really great birds.
I did manage to find a new species for they ear on the patch in the form of 9 Greylag Geese which passed towards the river meadows .This takes us to 49 species for this little patch of England. What will be the 50th species this year.
A early sign of spring came in the form of a drumming Greater Spotted Woodpecker, with another 2 been seen as well, the other member of the Woodpecker family that we regularly see here chipped in with a Green Woodpecker calling in the distance.
On the pastures there were less Skylarks today only 6 seen today, but one was singing (something was in air) but on the up side a cracking count of 64 plus Meadow Pipits were in the top fields. Again there was only a single Pied Wagtail to keep them company.
On the raptor front a female Kestrel was seen being mobbed by the local Jackdaws. The Stock Dove count was down with 6 seen today.
The best of the rest were 2 Buzzard, 2 Bullfinch, and a single Jay.
Friday 23 January 2015
Sneaky Peak
As I was going away with work on Wednesday I managed a quick sneaky peak on the patch on Wednesday morning and to be fair it turned out to be a good idea,
There was nothing new for the year but there were a fair few birds around and maybe a hint of a few birds perhaps beginning to filter northwards .
It was a fairly mild morning after a frost with some cloud warming the proceedings up a little bit .Winter Thrush were about and a good number of Redwing were on the thawing pastures with 125 plus and 26 plus Fieldfare with them. Both species of birds are at their best right now as they begin to smarten up for the breeding season in Northern Europe. Blackbirds seemed to be everywhere with 32 plus been seen ,its been a great winter for this species this year. Sometimes up to seven birds are on the lawn at the cottage feeding near the feeders. 2 Mistle Thrush and 6 Song Thrush made up the Thrush species .
Starlings were in amongst the winter Thrush and a nice count of 225 plus were seen .They will soon start to disappear back to their breeding grounds soon as well ,although we will be left with a few breeding birds for the summer.
On the pastures a good count of 13 Stock Dove fed on the rough pasture and they were kept company by 7 Skylark and a cracking count of at least 88 plus Meadow pipits , are the latter wintering birds or the start of the very earliest spring returnees ? Whatever that's a good count for this time if year.
Just a few Pied Wagtails were seen with just 3 ,they all seemed to have disappeared after a few decent numbers.
With the Bunting and Finch fest happening nearby I tried to join the party, but for all my efforts I could only manage to come up with a mixed Finch flock (first so far of the winter) which consisted of 30 plus Goldfinch ,20 plus Chaffinch and 6 Green finch .I will give it another go on Saturday morning. A couple of Bullfinch flew over with both male and female been seen, really top birds .
Overhead the first Raven for a while gronked its way over 4 Buzzards were floating about. The by now regular wintering female Kestrel cruised over ,looking for a lunch time snack.
The best of the rest were a garden Jay and a calling Green Woodpecker.
Although the garden feeders have been busy ,nothing different has been seen although good numbers of Great, Blue and Long Tailed Tits have been busy feeding on the fat balls and Sunflower and bird food .
Saturday awaits
There was nothing new for the year but there were a fair few birds around and maybe a hint of a few birds perhaps beginning to filter northwards .
It was a fairly mild morning after a frost with some cloud warming the proceedings up a little bit .Winter Thrush were about and a good number of Redwing were on the thawing pastures with 125 plus and 26 plus Fieldfare with them. Both species of birds are at their best right now as they begin to smarten up for the breeding season in Northern Europe. Blackbirds seemed to be everywhere with 32 plus been seen ,its been a great winter for this species this year. Sometimes up to seven birds are on the lawn at the cottage feeding near the feeders. 2 Mistle Thrush and 6 Song Thrush made up the Thrush species .
Starlings were in amongst the winter Thrush and a nice count of 225 plus were seen .They will soon start to disappear back to their breeding grounds soon as well ,although we will be left with a few breeding birds for the summer.
On the pastures a good count of 13 Stock Dove fed on the rough pasture and they were kept company by 7 Skylark and a cracking count of at least 88 plus Meadow pipits , are the latter wintering birds or the start of the very earliest spring returnees ? Whatever that's a good count for this time if year.
Just a few Pied Wagtails were seen with just 3 ,they all seemed to have disappeared after a few decent numbers.
With the Bunting and Finch fest happening nearby I tried to join the party, but for all my efforts I could only manage to come up with a mixed Finch flock (first so far of the winter) which consisted of 30 plus Goldfinch ,20 plus Chaffinch and 6 Green finch .I will give it another go on Saturday morning. A couple of Bullfinch flew over with both male and female been seen, really top birds .
Overhead the first Raven for a while gronked its way over 4 Buzzards were floating about. The by now regular wintering female Kestrel cruised over ,looking for a lunch time snack.
The best of the rest were a garden Jay and a calling Green Woodpecker.
Although the garden feeders have been busy ,nothing different has been seen although good numbers of Great, Blue and Long Tailed Tits have been busy feeding on the fat balls and Sunflower and bird food .
Saturday awaits
Sunday 18 January 2015
The week that was
Well winter sort of arrived the last week ,with frosts , cold winds and even a light dusting of snow on Tuesday. In the brief visits in the week I managed to see another 3 new species for the patch in the form of Pied wagtail , a flyover Grey Heron which was heading towards the river meadows. The 3rd species however was quite a good bird for the patch and only the third record for hereabouts. It came in the form of a Little Egret that passed over southwards in between some fairly heavy hail and snow showers .
After a rather pleasant and easy visit to Ashleworth Ham on Saturday afternoon where there were birds aplenty and having heard of a Finch fest on a fellow birders neighbouring patch (Hartpury Orchard Centre blog ,where Steve French is really beginning to see this young patch really starting to blossom ) which included flocks of 80 plus Yellowhammers and Reed Buntings I was really keen to see if the colder weather had brought anything different to my little piece of no where .
So with that in mind Willow and I were out at first light , it got off to a good with 7 Blackbird s feeding on the front lawn of the cottage but in the end we ended up with the usual count of 19 plus .
Other winter Thrush on the patch were 7 Song Thrush , 2 Mistle Thrush a lower count of 25 plus Redwing and a nice count of 146 plus Fieldfares. In amongst the Thrush were around 300 plus Starlings many will have come from the same areas of Russia and Scandanavia to spend the winter with their Thrush neighbours .
The pastures were quite frozen and as a result I could only find 5 Meadow Pipits this morning .After a quite start however 13 plus Skylarks made themselves noticed . Whilst on the pastures species 48 for the year leapt up in the form of 4 Red Legged Partridge. It was also nice to see a small flock of 20 Gulls on the sheep pastures ,even with just 20 birds there were 3 species with Herring, Common and Lesser Black Backed all feeding together.
In the hedges my only contribution to the Finch fest was a small flock of 5 Greenfinch, pathetic really . But that aside a Bullfinch was heard thereby keeping my Bullfinch fan smiling . There are still Jays wintering with us and one was seen flying over a hedgerow , its been nice to report that one has been in the cottage garden recently .
The good run on Stock Doves keeps going with 10 plus today ,and some were even starting to display , a very early sign of Spring.
It was not only Stock Doves that feel the upcoming Spring, a Greater Spotted Woodpecker was drumming this morning .I have the feeling they are being a tad optimistic just yet .The other member of the woodpecker family we see here was in fine voice with 2 Green Woodpeckers yaffling , its a great call to hear ,its really reminds me of this area. Even the local Football club has this bird on their badge.
The only other birds of note were 3 Buzzard and a flyover Cormorant which was heading westwards.
So the species count for the patch this year so far now stands at 48.
If the birding gods are listening and would like to get the new year off to a belting start and therefore would like to deal a winter special please "Give it to me now " .
Heres hoping
After a rather pleasant and easy visit to Ashleworth Ham on Saturday afternoon where there were birds aplenty and having heard of a Finch fest on a fellow birders neighbouring patch (Hartpury Orchard Centre blog ,where Steve French is really beginning to see this young patch really starting to blossom ) which included flocks of 80 plus Yellowhammers and Reed Buntings I was really keen to see if the colder weather had brought anything different to my little piece of no where .
So with that in mind Willow and I were out at first light , it got off to a good with 7 Blackbird s feeding on the front lawn of the cottage but in the end we ended up with the usual count of 19 plus .
Other winter Thrush on the patch were 7 Song Thrush , 2 Mistle Thrush a lower count of 25 plus Redwing and a nice count of 146 plus Fieldfares. In amongst the Thrush were around 300 plus Starlings many will have come from the same areas of Russia and Scandanavia to spend the winter with their Thrush neighbours .
The pastures were quite frozen and as a result I could only find 5 Meadow Pipits this morning .After a quite start however 13 plus Skylarks made themselves noticed . Whilst on the pastures species 48 for the year leapt up in the form of 4 Red Legged Partridge. It was also nice to see a small flock of 20 Gulls on the sheep pastures ,even with just 20 birds there were 3 species with Herring, Common and Lesser Black Backed all feeding together.
In the hedges my only contribution to the Finch fest was a small flock of 5 Greenfinch, pathetic really . But that aside a Bullfinch was heard thereby keeping my Bullfinch fan smiling . There are still Jays wintering with us and one was seen flying over a hedgerow , its been nice to report that one has been in the cottage garden recently .
The good run on Stock Doves keeps going with 10 plus today ,and some were even starting to display , a very early sign of Spring.
It was not only Stock Doves that feel the upcoming Spring, a Greater Spotted Woodpecker was drumming this morning .I have the feeling they are being a tad optimistic just yet .The other member of the woodpecker family we see here was in fine voice with 2 Green Woodpeckers yaffling , its a great call to hear ,its really reminds me of this area. Even the local Football club has this bird on their badge.
The only other birds of note were 3 Buzzard and a flyover Cormorant which was heading westwards.
So the species count for the patch this year so far now stands at 48.
If the birding gods are listening and would like to get the new year off to a belting start and therefore would like to deal a winter special please "Give it to me now " .
Heres hoping
Sunday 11 January 2015
The first proper week
So the first proper week and to be honest we have managed to bump up this years species a fair bit . Between Monday and Tuesday without leaving the cottage I managed to add Tawny Owl with one calling from next doors Orchard, a superb male Blackcap which was the hedge next to the bedroom window and a pair of Collared Dove which visited the garden .
I managed a brief visit to the patch on Wednesday and the real high light was the large number of winter Thrush around with large flocks of both Fieldfares with 340 plus and Redwings with 220 plus feeding on pastures .They were backed up by 15 plus Blackbird and a small number of Song Thrush.
There was also a nice flock of 30 plus Goldfinch that went over and a large flock of over 200 plus Jackdaw feeding on the top fields.
The back up cast of goodies were just 5 Skylark ,21 plus Meadow Pipit and a decent count of 9 Stock Dove .
So eager to push our species list ever forward Willow and I hit the patch at around 9am . There had been a very slight frost with the previous days wind and rain having moved on and its fair to say that there was a biting north westerly wind ,it certainly woke you up .
It was a fairly standard walk but we managed to add another 4 new species for the year ,so we are ticking along quite nicely.
Winter Thrush were still about if in lesser numbers with still 104 plus Fieldfare and 76 plus Redwing ,most were feeding on the pastures as they have demolished the local berry supply now. a single Mistle Thrush called as it passed over and the now standard number of 14 plus Blackbirds exploded from the hedges and other bits of cover.
On the pastures itself a good count of at least 40 plus Skylarks were about ,but as is the case if one species goes up the other usually drops ,and this was the case with just 6 plus Meadow pipits today. Stock Dove kept their end up so to speak with 8 over the patch today.
Overhead I managed to add a number of new species for the year with Black Headed Gull, 2 Canada Geese , and rather lonely looking Lapwing which passed over towards Ashleworth Ham .I have read there are large flocks of them just down the road ( 1800 was the latest count) ,I wish they would drop onto the patch.
The woodpecker family put on a good show with 2 Green Woodpeckers and 3 Greater Spotted seen today.
The female Bullfinch was in her usual place ,always giving herself away with her soft pewing calling, they really are such lovely birds.
On the raptor front this morning a distant soaring SparrowHawk was a first of the year for the patch. It was complimented by a female Kestrel which was hunting over one of the fields ,oddly enough I did not see a Buzzard today ,which is very unusual.
2 Jay flew over, one heading north ,its the first time they have wintered on the patch since I have been here .
The Starling flock numbered 160 plus today .
So after the 11 days the species list jumps to 44 , almost half way to my target of 90. It will of course get harder as the year moves on , gotta keep those eyes peeled.
I managed a brief visit to the patch on Wednesday and the real high light was the large number of winter Thrush around with large flocks of both Fieldfares with 340 plus and Redwings with 220 plus feeding on pastures .They were backed up by 15 plus Blackbird and a small number of Song Thrush.
There was also a nice flock of 30 plus Goldfinch that went over and a large flock of over 200 plus Jackdaw feeding on the top fields.
The back up cast of goodies were just 5 Skylark ,21 plus Meadow Pipit and a decent count of 9 Stock Dove .
So eager to push our species list ever forward Willow and I hit the patch at around 9am . There had been a very slight frost with the previous days wind and rain having moved on and its fair to say that there was a biting north westerly wind ,it certainly woke you up .
It was a fairly standard walk but we managed to add another 4 new species for the year ,so we are ticking along quite nicely.
Winter Thrush were still about if in lesser numbers with still 104 plus Fieldfare and 76 plus Redwing ,most were feeding on the pastures as they have demolished the local berry supply now. a single Mistle Thrush called as it passed over and the now standard number of 14 plus Blackbirds exploded from the hedges and other bits of cover.
On the pastures itself a good count of at least 40 plus Skylarks were about ,but as is the case if one species goes up the other usually drops ,and this was the case with just 6 plus Meadow pipits today. Stock Dove kept their end up so to speak with 8 over the patch today.
Overhead I managed to add a number of new species for the year with Black Headed Gull, 2 Canada Geese , and rather lonely looking Lapwing which passed over towards Ashleworth Ham .I have read there are large flocks of them just down the road ( 1800 was the latest count) ,I wish they would drop onto the patch.
The woodpecker family put on a good show with 2 Green Woodpeckers and 3 Greater Spotted seen today.
The female Bullfinch was in her usual place ,always giving herself away with her soft pewing calling, they really are such lovely birds.
On the raptor front this morning a distant soaring SparrowHawk was a first of the year for the patch. It was complimented by a female Kestrel which was hunting over one of the fields ,oddly enough I did not see a Buzzard today ,which is very unusual.
2 Jay flew over, one heading north ,its the first time they have wintered on the patch since I have been here .
The Starling flock numbered 160 plus today .
So after the 11 days the species list jumps to 44 , almost half way to my target of 90. It will of course get harder as the year moves on , gotta keep those eyes peeled.
Friday 2 January 2015
2015 off an running
So 2nd of January and Willow hot footed onto the patch to get the year off to a flying start. It was very mild again but with a chilly NW breeze ( you get the drift ,warmer than you would expect ). So this blog I will list all the species seen today as some this will be the only mention they get this year and as we see others I will mention and update the total for the year .So the bird species seen today on the patch were ,
1. Blackbird (18 plus seen today )
2. Carrion Crow
3. Jackdaw
4.Blue Tit
5.Chaffinch
6. Starling
7. Robin
8.Wood Pigeon
9. Buzzard
10.Herring Gull
11.Fieldfare ( 180 plus seen today)
12. Meadow Pipit (53 plus seen today, that's a good count for this bird in January )
13. Stock Dove
14. Raven (1 over)
15. Green finch
16. Redwing ( 100 plus seen today)
17. Lesser Black Backed Gull
18. Magpie
19. Common Gull
20. Rook
21.Pheasent
22.Dunnock
23. Greater Spotted Woodpecker.
24.Bullfinch
25. Goldfinch
26.Great Tit
27. House Sparrow.
28.Song Thrush
29.Mistle Thrush
30.Green Woodpecker
31.Long Tailed Tit
32.Jay
33.Cormorant (1 seen heading downriver)
34.Wren
35.Linnet (just 1 seen today)
36.Skylark (12 plus on pastures today)
37.Kestrel (1 hunting over patch this morning)
38.Pied Wagtail (5 seen on top fields this morning .
Overall a quiet walk with the winter Thrush , Meadow Pipits and Skylarks making up the limited high lights .
So lets get it on 2015 ,I really want to get to 90 species this year ! Happy New Year to all my readers (well if there are any )
1. Blackbird (18 plus seen today )
2. Carrion Crow
3. Jackdaw
4.Blue Tit
5.Chaffinch
6. Starling
7. Robin
8.Wood Pigeon
9. Buzzard
10.Herring Gull
11.Fieldfare ( 180 plus seen today)
12. Meadow Pipit (53 plus seen today, that's a good count for this bird in January )
13. Stock Dove
14. Raven (1 over)
15. Green finch
16. Redwing ( 100 plus seen today)
17. Lesser Black Backed Gull
18. Magpie
19. Common Gull
20. Rook
21.Pheasent
22.Dunnock
23. Greater Spotted Woodpecker.
24.Bullfinch
25. Goldfinch
26.Great Tit
27. House Sparrow.
28.Song Thrush
29.Mistle Thrush
30.Green Woodpecker
31.Long Tailed Tit
32.Jay
33.Cormorant (1 seen heading downriver)
34.Wren
35.Linnet (just 1 seen today)
36.Skylark (12 plus on pastures today)
37.Kestrel (1 hunting over patch this morning)
38.Pied Wagtail (5 seen on top fields this morning .
Overall a quiet walk with the winter Thrush , Meadow Pipits and Skylarks making up the limited high lights .
So lets get it on 2015 ,I really want to get to 90 species this year ! Happy New Year to all my readers (well if there are any )
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