Decided to stay local this morning, quite a cooling East wind but brilliant blue skies and heating up to c20C which is amazing for this time of year. Had c40 Redwings fly over the house yesterday - the first at home for autumn, and another 15 were the first birds I saw when I arrived at Burton Mill. Other than about 20 Siskins and some flyover Skylarks there was very little to be seen on half a circuit up to Chingford Pond and back. Went on to Pulborough, and it was a delightful site to see so many juv Starlings on the brambles. Caught in the brilliant light their plumage is quite amazing with the white spots just starting to blend into the bright glossy plumage. The image reminded me of a picture in an old ladybird book I had I think called 'Autumn' which was painted in almost exactly the same pose these birds were in - Just wish I had my sodding camera lens back !!. The brooks had just started to fill with the recent rain and wildfowl numbers were obviously starting to increase with plenty of Wigeon and Teal but the huge numbers of Canada Geese were most obvious, with one Barnacle type and one Snow Goose cross obviously escapes. I have mixed feelings over the large flocks of these probably feral geese. Seeing up to 30,000 truly wild Canada Geese migrating over the vast Manitoba arable plains about this time last year was a real spectacle, Doesn't quite work at Pulborough !.
Little else was on show and no sign of the Ring Ouzel that had been around earlier in the week so headed home.
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