Thursday 26 January 2012

Jan 26th

Dad came and picked me up at around 9am this morning, it was raining and we weren't sure how long we would last!! Arriving in the car park, the rain started to ease, a SONG THRUSH was in full song but otherwise it was fairly quiet. As we walked through the new orchard we counted 6 BULLFINCHES and a couple of GREAT TITS, the odd FIELDFARE flew north and a TREECREEPER and NUTHATCH showed well, though the light was very poor for photography. A scan across the fields produced a GREY HERON in the corner of a distant one and one or two SKYLARKS were heard singing. As we entered a path that looks like a tunnel at the moment, there were loads of FIELDFARES darting around in front of us, we thought maybe 50 or so, watching them for sometime they eventually moved on and we realised there were actually 300 or more!! they had been feeding on sloes, I counted a minimum, 180 birds sitting in the tops of trees, the rest had headed off in the opposite direction.
I took this a couple of days ago, today it was full of Fieldfares (also my only 'patch' Long eared Owl was seen here)

The flock of YELLOWHAMMERS is still present and today there were 10 or more REED BUNTING with them, a COMMON BUZZARD flew close by along a hedge and we found 15 SISKIN in the alders along the stream. The wood was fairly quiet until I heard a distant call which gradually got closer, a LESSER SPOTTED WOODPECKER, gave itself up as it flew over our heads, the first one Dad had seen for many years and I was pleased to get my second sighting of the year. Here we also added MARSH TIT, COAL TIT and GOLDCREST, plus the only REDPOLL of the morning that called as it flew over. Finally we had one last look across the valley, the first bird Dad saw was a MUTE SWAN!! (68) and only the third one recorded here in 14 years!! A great way to end the morning :-)

13 comments:

Greenie said...

Alan ,
Amazing that your patch is , and has been , so Swan-less . Would have thought the lakes would have had a resident pair at least .
I can hear Warren's Coot coming into this conversation !

Tammy said...

lovely photo, looks like a beautiful area!

Marc Heath said...

Thats a simple but very nice photo indeed. Glad a Mute visited by the sounds of it. Funny how we take certain birds for granted!

Warren Baker said...

Whey Hey! Mute Swan! Nice one Alan, they are almost as rare here, I only ever get a few flyovers per year. You can have one of my Coots if you like :-) ( had to get that in to please the Green one!)

Phil said...

You should visit New Hythe Alan. Mute Swans and Coots by the bucket load.
No LS Woodpeckers though, or Yellowhammers, or Marsh Tits, or Coal Tits, not even any Fieldfares now that they've eaten all the Sloes. Best stay where you are I think:-)

Mike H said...

Glad that you and dad got the LSW again Alan, and well done on patch tick mute swan.

Alan Pavey said...

Hi Greenie, they really are rare here, never had one actually set foot in the grounds they just flyover :-)

Hi Tammy, thanks, there is some nice countryside around here :-)

Hi Marc, thanks, I like the fact that birds take on a different status depending where you are, if I was at Dunge, I probably wouldn't have given it a second glance.

Hi Warren, definitely a bonus bird for me, I'm hoping for one of those Coots soon, I'll be waiting for one of yours!

Hi Phil, I ought to have another look at New Hythe, hopefully for a few other bits as well as the Swans and Coots!! It does sound like I'm doing pretty well when you list the birds you haven't got :-)

Hi Mike, thanks, it was great to get Dad on to the LSW and pick up another new bird for the year.

Kelly said...

...interesting photo. Love seeing the birds at the end of the tunnel. It must have been quite a sight to see 300+ fieldfares darting about!

ShySongbird said...

You are doing well with the LSW! How bizarre that a place which holds so many goodies should be so lacking in Mute Swans!

Nice 'tunnel' photo :-)

Bob Bushell said...

That's a wonderful place on earth.

Alan Pavey said...

Hi Kelly, it was great to see the Fieldfares, it was difficult to assess how many looking down the tunnel :-)

Hi ShySongbird, Thanks, I agree, it is strange but I suppose there no really nice expanses of water.

Hi Bob, it definitely has it's wonderful moments :-)

Unknown said...

Que curiosa foto, me gusta.
Saludos!!

Alan Pavey said...

Hi Ramon, thank you, Saludos!!