A bright morning, cold but no fog! Six ardent bird-watchers gathered outside the VC at 9 am. This used to be a monthly affair but the "programme is under new management". Our walk today took us round the conservation area only (i.e. Fingers Lake) and was extremely enjoyable.
On the main lake, 154
Canadas (2 more on fingers lake), 3
Greylags and a
Bar-headed Goose (probably an escape, originally from the high plateau of central Asia), a
Cormorant and a
Heron. Only 4
Gt. Crested Grebes found here (looks like the autumn peak has passed).
Walking down to the Fingers, 2
Sky Lark overhead & 2
Mipits & some unseen
House Martins (2-3?). Also a couple of
Siskin were heard calling up high.
There were 11
Gadwall on "lilypads", a brilliant
Kingfisher entertained us for some while, 3
Cormorants digesting their 'breakfast' in the trees and in the gloom of "east/big fingers" a diving duck that turned out to be a male
Tufted. A couple of
Chiffs worked the willows of the spit and 'crescent'. Plenty of adult Moorhens in their new (moulted) finery. There was nothing of note at the Kramer hide - the bushes need a good "chop" as they are restricting the view badly. [The Otters should return in the very near future]
Other species included a
Gt. Spot., 2
Green Woodpeckers, 3
Pied Wagtails, 2 family parties of
LTT (one of 10, the other maybe 12), 4
Song Thrush and ca. 15
Robins. Blackbirds were little in evidence: I expect it won't be long before the "continentals" arrive to swell the numbers.
At the 'long hedge cum rough' section, we found at least 4
Blackcaps (male & female) feeding in the Elderberry, another 3
Chiffs (top of the Hawthorns), maybe as many as 20
Goldfinches, many of them youngsters with "browny heads", all 'twinkling away, and at least 7
Swallows heading off SW at tree top height. No sign of the Lesser Whitethroat from yesterday.
Tony P had a
Redwing over earlier.
Plenty of butterflies feeding/sunning themselves- including Speckled Wood, Red Admiral and Comma.
Red Admiral
Comma
Next Walk - Sunday 16th November, 9am.
