January 6th - misty!

Looking out of the window before I left the house it was touch and go whether I went out at all, as I could barely see to the bottom of the garden! However, I made my way to the castle, the car park was quiet, a few BLACKBIRDS called but the mist certainly affected what was about. Stephen has been around on the patch recently and has been checking the finch and bunting flock, so that's where I headed. On the way down an unfamiliar call turned out to be the CORN BUNTING (53) that has been wintering with the Yellowhammers.
I reached the area where the flock has been feeding, the first birds I saw were 50 SISKIN, wheeling around in the gloom, a few CHAFFINCH and YELLOWHAMMERS were dropping in and out of the stubble. When they all flew up there must have been close to 200 birds a roughly half and half split between Chaffinch and Yellowhammer, it's a shame the light wasn't a little better as Stephen had seen Brambling earlier in the week. 13 SKYLARKS flew up as I made my way towards the wood, once in the wood a MARSH TIT appeared briefly with 2 GOLDCREST and the Siskins dropped in with 6 REDPOLLS. I disturbed a BUZZARD as I walked toward the lake. The brightest part of the morning was a KINGFISHER (54) that sat for a few seconds above the Crane Brook before flying across the lake. 35 species in two and a half hours was 14 down on the New Years Day walk in the same amount time, the sun makes all the difference.

Yellowhammers and Chaffinch feeding field

Part of Sissinghurst ancient woodland

Another Wren pic from the 1st Jan

Ditto