4th November

Pick of the sightings was a Mealy Redpoll in my garden! The bird was so tame that I literally almost stood on it. Unfortunately by the time I had gone back in for my camera the bird, along with all the other garden passerines, had gone. Probably not unrelated to the fact a Sparrowhawk had just flashed through the garden!

On Friday a walk along the river had turned up three more Redpoll, my first of the year. I assume these were Lessers but only heard them and saw them in flight. They were associating with a large arrival of winter thrushes with over 100 Fieldfares in the hawthorns and willows along ‘Migrant Alley’.

Other birds along here included Kingfisher, two Little Grebe, Little Egret, a total of eight Goosander…

Green Sandpiper and two Snipe, including this one in ‘threat pose’

Earlier, on a walk down the waterworks lane, I found ten Bullfinches around the Christmas trees, probably the largest group I have ever seen in the parish, and there were up  to four Treecreepers along Warbler Hedge…

And yesterday along Greenhills Lane I had another Treecreeper  near the ruined barns, 60+ Lapwings feeding in the large field here and the first winter gatherings of buntings, mainly composed of Yellowhammers…

Year List to end of October – 98 species.