My only real foray was a walk from the house - which I hadn't done for quite a while, so with bright blue skies I headed out, an early morning Buzzard took of from the tress in the garden (turned out to be the only bird of prey seen) . The ground was completely sodden making the firmest paths slippery and the boggier ones almost impassable.
Just behind the house the field hedge held Bullfinch and lots of Blackbirds, before walking down the lane towards the last farm houses, Dunnocks, Robins, Song Thrush and 2 Redwings flew past along with a calling Meadow Pipit, Pied Wagtail and a smart Grey Wagtail. There did seem to be a number of thrushes around with more Redwing encountered. A tree by the first pass of stream held a tit flock with mainly coal tits. then calling Goldcrests were seen but not much else until the footpath reached the edge of a ploughed filed where a large puddle blocked the footpath but a large flock of Chaffinches numbered c100 and were making flights between the hedge and the field for foraging. An influx of Brambling had been reported in parts of the country over the last week and I was hopeful that maybe one had attached to this Chaffinch flock, but no luck and only a single Lesser Redpoll was picked out on the ground . Further along a Group of 4 Bullfinches with a small Goldfinch flock then as I neared the furnace pond a large fruiting Yew held up to 40 Redwing and a number of Siskins . The furnace pond only had one sad looking female Mallard and then the heavens opened I was at the furthest point from the house on my vaguely circular walk and it sheeted rain until I got home. So no great surprises but interesting Finch numbers building up. Which was further indicated back at the house as within the week the feeders had up to 12 Chaffinches, the first Greenfinches for a long time and 3 Goldfinches.
Lets hope the large flocks of Waxwings arriving in the North and East drift down this way and even the reports of a Northern European Pine Grossbeak invasion would be welcome if it extended to this part of England !
The only pictures below reflect that I haven't managed a decent shot of a bird for a few weeks - will need to rectify this !
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| As I headed down the lane from the house the morning sky looked great -but not for long. |
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| Flooded field edge - 100+Chaffinches were feeding in the field |
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