Thank god November is over!

First winter Glaucous Gull, Moore NR

Male Merlin, Waterworks Lane, Winwick

I couldn't quite figure out what he was having for breakfast, however it did look Skylark size!

Fieldfare, Houghton Green Flash

Sleeping Little Owl, Croft

Buzzard, HGF

Yellowhammer at the feeding station in Waterworks Lane courtesy of Pauline Greenhalgh. The pics below are also courtesy of Pauline. More of Pauline's excellent work can be seen on her website: http://pmgiwildlifeimages.com/

Tree Sparrows at the feeding station

A plethora of Tree Spadgers

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It's a curious thing - Tree Sparrows seem to vastly outnumber House Sparrows in Winwick! The local population of House Sparrows seems to have gone AWOL - I normally expect to see up to 25 birds in the garden and plenty in the park. In the last 2 weeks I have seen just two birds! At the feeding station the max count for Tree Sparrows has been 75 (last weekend) with 57 present this afternoon. Other species are starting to appear with 7 Yellowhammers, 4 Reed Buntings and 4 Greenfinches there yesterday. The constant presence of raptors doesn't help though - yesterday morning I spotted a Peregrine through the kitchen windown fly toward the feeding station - it turned out to be the falconers bird. A Buzzard, three Kestrels, three Sparrowhawks and a Merlin are all daily visitors. One of the Spars is a sub-adult male which was perched on one of the rabbit runs yesterday while a bunch of Collared Doves peered down on it from the tree above!

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Yesterday morning I found the male Merlin eating his breakfast in the field by the bend on Waterworks Lane. I couldn't tell what he was eating, however screened as I was by the hedge I had an enjoyable 20 mins or so watching him. The usualy two coveys of Grey Partridges are still present - 8 by the feeding station and 16 by the farm machinery. I also found a third covey of 10 birds off Arbury Lane - 34 birds in total. While watching the feedng station this afternoon one of the Kestrels dropped down behind the hedge and reappeared with a small rodent in its talons!

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The garden has gone quiet - the Woodpigeons have mainly moved on though 20 or so Collared Doves are regular now. Up to 11 Blackbirds, 7 Goldfinches and 10 or so Chaffinches plus the usual tits, Dunnocks, Robins and Wrens. Last week I had a range of corvids every day - this week none. Two Fieldfares flew low over this morning and a Mistle Thrush made a racket in the large Ash tree - otherwise quiet and even the cock Pheasant has disappeared.

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This morning in an attempt to get a bit of exercise and increase energy levels I took Billy for a walk around Moore. Lapwing Lake held 40+ Gadwall, 10 Wigeon and a Shoveler, a Great Spotted Woodpecker, a Nuthatch and a Jay all showed well near the car park and Jackdwas seemed to be everywhere. I am not sure about the point of the feeding station here though - this morning again there was no food out for the birds. This is probably the fifth time in a row I have visited and the feeding station has been empty of birds and food. Why bother?

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The Tawny Owl was conspicuous by its absence today, however the gull numbers are increasing since my last visit. Having had a look for the Glauc and failed, I went for a wander through Birchwood. Upon reaching the side hide, I had a quick glance around and spotted a first winter Glaucous Gull gliding across the water and behind the island from my perspective - or to put it another way, right in front of the hide I had just left! I decamped and headed back to the first hide just in time to see the Glauc glide out of view on the other side of the island (in plain view of another hide I had just left!). I then sat and waited patiently for it to appear and after 20 minutes or so it came out and showed spectacularly well for over 40 minutes. It flew off just as the only other birder I saw arrived at the hide - he missed it!