Finally, I felt the lanes had cleared enough to get back out around the patch today...just a pity that the place was shrouded in fog!
I started at a very frozen Captains Pool where there were 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls and 38 Black-headed Gulls on the Ice. Whilst here I also counted 45 Mallards, 2 Canada Geese and 3 Moorhens. Earlier this morning 17 Siskins and 10 Goldfinches were seen feeding on the ground below an Alder (TS).
Stanklyn Lane paddocks were empty so I swiftly moved onto the beet field where there were 17 Starlings, 2 Mistle Thrushes, c.60 Wood Pigeons and a Robin.
From the beet field I headed to the carrot field footpath. Here a large mixed finch/bunting flock of c.100 birds was present. With them was a single ♀ Brambling which I managed to get a good look at and I'm pretty sure it is the same bird that I have been recording around the Stanklyn Lane area in November and early December. The flock mainly consisted of Chaffinches with small numbers of Greenfinches, 4 Yellowhammers (2♂)and 3 Goldfinches. Also present in the hedgerow at the back of the carrot field were 2 Redwings and a Blackbird.
After finishing Stanklyn I popped up to Heath Lane where the only birds of note were 1 Common Buzzard and 3 Redwings.
The Yellowhammer is magnificant in your header, I am the one who tells the tales that I haven't seen one.
ReplyDeleteSure was a foggy one Jase. Good sighting that Brambling :-)
ReplyDeleteCheers Bob....I'm lucky to still have a few on my patch although numbers have decreased. I think I'm down to about 14 Yellowhammers now.
ReplyDeleteThanks Warren...yep it was a bit of a pea souper but worth going for a walk to connect with the finch flock