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.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)