The nights are certainly drawing in, as the sun was dropping even though it was about 16.10, but least there was something different on the lake when I looked in on it after work.
On the water were 40 Mallard, a Great Crested Grebe, 15 Moorhens, a pair of Mandarins and a female Tufted Duck.
Overhead a Brambling called, as did a Reed Bunting, Meadow Pipit and 11 Fieldfares.
On the walk back to the van I flushed a Kingfisher from its lakeside perch.
Tuesday 30 October 2012
Sunday 28 October 2012
Saturday 27/10/12
As expected there was a very chilly wind as I left the house. I decided to stand at the top of the field in Kirkins as this affords a good view of a lot of the area.
The wind was biting so I only managed to stand there for about an hour,but in that time I saw 63 Black Headed Gulls, 2 common Gulls, 3 Great Black-backed Gulls,43 Canada Geese,2 Sparrowhawks and a Kestrel plus the first Reed Bunting in quite a while..
The winter thrushes had arrived in better numbers and eventually I saw 130 Redwings and 413 Fieldfares.
Down at the lake a smart drake Gadwall was residing with the numerous Mallards and fly-overs included 9 Lapwings, 4 Skylarks,a Lesser Black-backed Gull , 2 Herring Gulls and 4 Lesser Redpolls.As I was leaving I had a 4th GBB Gull.
This afternoon when I popped into the lake on my way home, yesterdays Gadwall had gone but there were 2 Little Grebes and a Kingfisher.
The wind was biting so I only managed to stand there for about an hour,but in that time I saw 63 Black Headed Gulls, 2 common Gulls, 3 Great Black-backed Gulls,43 Canada Geese,2 Sparrowhawks and a Kestrel plus the first Reed Bunting in quite a while..
The winter thrushes had arrived in better numbers and eventually I saw 130 Redwings and 413 Fieldfares.
Down at the lake a smart drake Gadwall was residing with the numerous Mallards and fly-overs included 9 Lapwings, 4 Skylarks,a Lesser Black-backed Gull , 2 Herring Gulls and 4 Lesser Redpolls.As I was leaving I had a 4th GBB Gull.
This afternoon when I popped into the lake on my way home, yesterdays Gadwall had gone but there were 2 Little Grebes and a Kingfisher.
Thursday 25 October 2012
At last! Fieldfares arrived on the patch today, with a total of 56 seen, made up mainly of one flock of 34.
There was a good selection of birds with a couple of Skylarks over and both Siskins and Redpolls around the lake. Eleven Redwings were seen but today was my first walk without any summer migrants. The lake itself remains very quiet with just 47 Mallards and 10 Moorhens on it but a Grey Wagtail was on the Waterfall.
This afternoon I had a walk around Share Farm where I had a skein of 60 geese go over S/West but unfortunately they were too high up to ID with the binoculars. Consolation was a lone Lapwing which flew north.
There was a good selection of birds with a couple of Skylarks over and both Siskins and Redpolls around the lake. Eleven Redwings were seen but today was my first walk without any summer migrants. The lake itself remains very quiet with just 47 Mallards and 10 Moorhens on it but a Grey Wagtail was on the Waterfall.
This afternoon I had a walk around Share Farm where I had a skein of 60 geese go over S/West but unfortunately they were too high up to ID with the binoculars. Consolation was a lone Lapwing which flew north.
Sunday 21 October 2012
Sunday 21st
I left the house at 07.30 this morning with rain still falling, as it had been doing most of the night. As I walked into the field behind Kirkins Close a pair of Canada Geese flew noisily overhead.The constant rain meant that there wasn't much flying over but as I neared the corner of the hedge in Gibbet Lane I heard a Ring Ouzel(111) call from inside the hedge(BRILLIANT!!). Unfortunately as I took a few steps closer it left the hedge and climbed higher before disappearing East over the village. Luckily this gave me some excellent views of it as it flew round. This is only the second I've seen on the patch,the other being a male which stayed a couple of days in May 2007.
Down at the lake there was a flock of about 70 Chaffinches which had at least half a dozen Bramblings amongst them. Apart from this there were 7 Siskins and a flyover Redpoll and 12 Redwings of note(still no Fieldfares).
On the way home a Chiffchaff was in the hedge in Gibbet Lane.
During the afternoon I went down to the lake and saw a Grey Wagtail and a Kingfisher in the gloom.
Down at the lake there was a flock of about 70 Chaffinches which had at least half a dozen Bramblings amongst them. Apart from this there were 7 Siskins and a flyover Redpoll and 12 Redwings of note(still no Fieldfares).
On the way home a Chiffchaff was in the hedge in Gibbet Lane.
During the afternoon I went down to the lake and saw a Grey Wagtail and a Kingfisher in the gloom.
Sunday 14 October 2012
Saturday 13/10/12
The day started with a couple of Lesser Redpolls calling as I left the house. As I walked into what was Kirkins Orchard,before it was cleared , I was treated to a Brambling flying over. I stayed at the top of the field for about forty minutes as there is a a really good view from here and watched as a total of 53 Jackdaws flew south as they left their roost. There was a steady trickle of birds overhead which included 8 Redwings, 9 Redpolls, 18 Pied Wagtails, 5 Meadow Pipits, 6 Chaffinch, 4 Stock Doves, a Mistle Thrush, 3 Linnets, a Greenfinch, 2 Bullfinches plus the local Jays which were busy collecting acorns.
Down at the lake there were 30 Siskins and 11 Lesser Redpolls.
The water is still very quiet with just 22 Mallards and 12 Moorhens but the Kingfisher put in a brief appearance and the Water Rail once again called, unseen, from the reeds at the southern end.
In the bottom field were 30 Pied Wagtails and 16 Meadow Pipits. A skylark called as it went south.Just as I was leaving a Drake Mandarin and then a Grey Heron flew in.
The only summer migrants seen were 2 Chiffchaffs.
In the afternoon I had a quick walk around Share Farm and added Yellowhammer, Canada Goose and Kestrel to the day total bringing it to a respectable 49!!
Down at the lake there were 30 Siskins and 11 Lesser Redpolls.
The water is still very quiet with just 22 Mallards and 12 Moorhens but the Kingfisher put in a brief appearance and the Water Rail once again called, unseen, from the reeds at the southern end.
In the bottom field were 30 Pied Wagtails and 16 Meadow Pipits. A skylark called as it went south.Just as I was leaving a Drake Mandarin and then a Grey Heron flew in.
The only summer migrants seen were 2 Chiffchaffs.
In the afternoon I had a quick walk around Share Farm and added Yellowhammer, Canada Goose and Kestrel to the day total bringing it to a respectable 49!!
Monday 8 October 2012
Week Ending 07/10/12
After a damp start on Saturday the sun decided to make an appearance which made for very a pleasant walk. The rain overnight had bought in about 150 House Martins and 30 Swallows over the lakeside orchard and meant there were still 6 Chiffchaffs around the lake.There was a good mixed flock of tits in the paddock on the Shirrenden side which had a rather smart Marsh Tit in it.
The Birch trees behind the boat house held a flock of 40 Siskins and 2 Lesser Redpolls.
The lake itself didn't throw up any surprises but there were 9 Mandarins(5 Drakes & 4 ducks) and a Water Rail called from the southern end.
By the end of my walk I had seen 46 species .
On Sunday I was hoping for a movement of birds and as it happens there did seem to be just that,with a few little flocks of Chaffinches and the odd Siskin going over West. The first flock of Redwings (18) went over plus a flock of 20 Song Thrushes.Unfortunately at this point I was called out to work so had to leave at 07.45am so I will never know if it got better.
This afternoon we went for a little walk in the rain and saw 50 Siskins, 12 Goldfinches and a flock of 35 Redpolls as we walked the footpath though Shirrenden.
There was also 14 House Martins feeding over the Oaks and 2 Swallows flew through going North.
The Birch trees behind the boat house held a flock of 40 Siskins and 2 Lesser Redpolls.
The lake itself didn't throw up any surprises but there were 9 Mandarins(5 Drakes & 4 ducks) and a Water Rail called from the southern end.
By the end of my walk I had seen 46 species .
On Sunday I was hoping for a movement of birds and as it happens there did seem to be just that,with a few little flocks of Chaffinches and the odd Siskin going over West. The first flock of Redwings (18) went over plus a flock of 20 Song Thrushes.Unfortunately at this point I was called out to work so had to leave at 07.45am so I will never know if it got better.
This afternoon we went for a little walk in the rain and saw 50 Siskins, 12 Goldfinches and a flock of 35 Redpolls as we walked the footpath though Shirrenden.
There was also 14 House Martins feeding over the Oaks and 2 Swallows flew through going North.
Monday 1 October 2012
Last weekend of September
Saturday started a bit on the chilly side but I went out with great expectancy. Bird numbers were good and it was pleasing to find some summer migrants still around. There were House Martins and Swallows passing overhead all the time heading a WSW direction and in all there I counted about 400 and 120 respectively. At the lake I found 6 Chiffchaffs and a Blackcap and there were 20 Meadow Pipits & 16 Pied wagtails in the cleared field at the southern end.On the lake itself were 52 Mallard & 10 Mandarins and as I watched them a Kingfisher landed on a branch right next to me.On the waterfall a Grey wagtail was busy feeding.
In the afternoon I had a little walk with my wife and decided to walk around to the Shirrenden side of the lake and was delighted find a Cetti's Warbler(110) in the South East corner which called a couple of times before disappearing into the undergrowth. FANTASTIC!! Not only a new bird for the year list but a new one for the Patch.
In the afternoon I had a little walk with my wife and decided to walk around to the Shirrenden side of the lake and was delighted find a Cetti's Warbler(110) in the South East corner which called a couple of times before disappearing into the undergrowth. FANTASTIC!! Not only a new bird for the year list but a new one for the Patch.
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