Tree Sparrow at Waterworks Lane feeding station
1st October
Not much change at HGF this very sunny morning (where has this recent hot spell come from?). A couple of Buzzards loitering around and a Chiffchaff singing in sycamores near the kennels were the main interest.
Most of today was spent in the garden with friends. Plenty of finches and a relatively rare visitor in a Song Thrush plus three different Sparrowhawks flying overhead. We had a walk mid afternoon around Waterworks Lane. The field opposite the farm was being cut and a covey of 14 Grey Partridges was there. I also saw a Jay which was being mobbed by a Crow – not sure what the Jay had done. I get the impression other corvids pick on Jays simply because they can.
Late evening I took Bill for a walk down Barrow Lane. The fields have all been tilled now and this seems to have attracted the attention of some Lesser Black-backed Gulls with 80+ birds there. In what was the oat field a Buzzard was eating a rabbit and I also saw 6 coveys of Grey Partridges totalling 22 birds. 6 Brown Hares emerged from the small conifer plantation.
2nd October
Whereas yesterday and previous days have been somewhat of an Indian summer with scorching temperatures, today was cold and wet. The Song Thrush was present in the garden again and later I saw a Great Spotted Woodpecker fly off. At the feeding station 30+ House Sparrows and 16 Tree Sparrows were briefly joined by a roving flock of 21 Long-tailed Tits. This tit flock was also carrying at least 8 Chaffinches with it but aside from a single Blue Tit, no other tits.
Mid afternoon and late evening were very much contrasts in birding. First, after a few hours of gardening, I headed off to Nateby to see the Solitary Sandpiper. I left my satnav at home and ended up following my nose because I hadn’t a clue how to get there. I eventually found the place OK and trudged across a boggy field in pouring rain to view a small wader from 300m. Fair enough you could just about tell what the bird was but there was nothing overly enjoyable about this. It was out of sight most of the time and I didn’t stay long. I couldn’t help thinking of the bird I saw in Devon last year which came within 30 feet on a bright sunny afternoon.
By contrast I took Bill for a walk late evening down Barrow Lane. It started raining again as we walked down though not quite as hard as earlier today. In what was the oat field was a flock of Skylarks, 164 birds at least. I quite enjoyed standing in the rain and sifting through these birds, looking for something else that may have tagged along. I didn’t find anything, however a flock of Skylarks this size was enjoyable in itself. Around 12 Tree Sparrows were seen in the conifers at Parkside Farm and the flock of Lesser Black-backed Gulls was also present.
3rd October
This morning at dawn I visited Barrow Lane to see if the Skylarks were still around and the possibility of something more interesting in better viewing conditions. Unfortunately they were not there – even in the semi-gloom Kestrels and Buzzards were already out and about hunting and may have moved the birds. Three Buzzards were seen and one distant bird was very striking with underparts totally white with no markings, upperparts pale grey with white flashes on the wings and head and neck streaked grey. It quickly disappeared. Around 10 Meadow Pipits flew over plus singles of Lapwing and Cormorant plus two flocks of Linnets (50+ and 20+). Around 20 Tree Sparrows were by Parkside Farm.
Two Mistle Thrushes flew over the garden today. At the feeding station 34 Tree Sparrows were present and a Buzzard flew over.
Early afternoon I visited Moat Lane pools. It was very quiet, aside from the usual two Mute Swans, a Jay and a Great Spotted Woodpecker were the only other birds seen. On the mosses a Skylark movement was underway with 35+ birds through south. Nine Buzzards were also present, seven spiralling up together on a thermal and one eating a rabbit on Woodend Lane. The pool at the base of the tip has almost dried up. There was nothing of note at HGF later.
This evening I nipped over to the Moors Pools, Upton Warren for the last hour or so of daylight. It was relatively quiet here too with the highlights being a Green Sandpiper, 7 Snipe, a Kingfisher and a Little Grebe. A very tatty looking male Bullfinch appeared on the feeders.
4th October
No birding today. Was in Brum and had the opportunity to go birding but I felt ill and retreated to my hotel.
5th October
Still a bit flaky – back from Brum. I paid a quick visit to HGF late evening where a ringed Mute Swan juvenile was new in. The bird appeared edgy and I couldn’t read the ring.
6th October
At the feeding station today were 10 Tree Sparrows and 55 House Sparrows. Two coveys of Grey Partridges were also here (8+5) and the sparrows were subsequently made nervous by a Kestrel which seemed to take a half-hearted interest in them.
Not much change at HGF this very sunny morning (where has this recent hot spell come from?). A couple of Buzzards loitering around and a Chiffchaff singing in sycamores near the kennels were the main interest.
Most of today was spent in the garden with friends. Plenty of finches and a relatively rare visitor in a Song Thrush plus three different Sparrowhawks flying overhead. We had a walk mid afternoon around Waterworks Lane. The field opposite the farm was being cut and a covey of 14 Grey Partridges was there. I also saw a Jay which was being mobbed by a Crow – not sure what the Jay had done. I get the impression other corvids pick on Jays simply because they can.
Late evening I took Bill for a walk down Barrow Lane. The fields have all been tilled now and this seems to have attracted the attention of some Lesser Black-backed Gulls with 80+ birds there. In what was the oat field a Buzzard was eating a rabbit and I also saw 6 coveys of Grey Partridges totalling 22 birds. 6 Brown Hares emerged from the small conifer plantation.
2nd October
Whereas yesterday and previous days have been somewhat of an Indian summer with scorching temperatures, today was cold and wet. The Song Thrush was present in the garden again and later I saw a Great Spotted Woodpecker fly off. At the feeding station 30+ House Sparrows and 16 Tree Sparrows were briefly joined by a roving flock of 21 Long-tailed Tits. This tit flock was also carrying at least 8 Chaffinches with it but aside from a single Blue Tit, no other tits.
Mid afternoon and late evening were very much contrasts in birding. First, after a few hours of gardening, I headed off to Nateby to see the Solitary Sandpiper. I left my satnav at home and ended up following my nose because I hadn’t a clue how to get there. I eventually found the place OK and trudged across a boggy field in pouring rain to view a small wader from 300m. Fair enough you could just about tell what the bird was but there was nothing overly enjoyable about this. It was out of sight most of the time and I didn’t stay long. I couldn’t help thinking of the bird I saw in Devon last year which came within 30 feet on a bright sunny afternoon.
By contrast I took Bill for a walk late evening down Barrow Lane. It started raining again as we walked down though not quite as hard as earlier today. In what was the oat field was a flock of Skylarks, 164 birds at least. I quite enjoyed standing in the rain and sifting through these birds, looking for something else that may have tagged along. I didn’t find anything, however a flock of Skylarks this size was enjoyable in itself. Around 12 Tree Sparrows were seen in the conifers at Parkside Farm and the flock of Lesser Black-backed Gulls was also present.
3rd October
This morning at dawn I visited Barrow Lane to see if the Skylarks were still around and the possibility of something more interesting in better viewing conditions. Unfortunately they were not there – even in the semi-gloom Kestrels and Buzzards were already out and about hunting and may have moved the birds. Three Buzzards were seen and one distant bird was very striking with underparts totally white with no markings, upperparts pale grey with white flashes on the wings and head and neck streaked grey. It quickly disappeared. Around 10 Meadow Pipits flew over plus singles of Lapwing and Cormorant plus two flocks of Linnets (50+ and 20+). Around 20 Tree Sparrows were by Parkside Farm.
Two Mistle Thrushes flew over the garden today. At the feeding station 34 Tree Sparrows were present and a Buzzard flew over.
Early afternoon I visited Moat Lane pools. It was very quiet, aside from the usual two Mute Swans, a Jay and a Great Spotted Woodpecker were the only other birds seen. On the mosses a Skylark movement was underway with 35+ birds through south. Nine Buzzards were also present, seven spiralling up together on a thermal and one eating a rabbit on Woodend Lane. The pool at the base of the tip has almost dried up. There was nothing of note at HGF later.
This evening I nipped over to the Moors Pools, Upton Warren for the last hour or so of daylight. It was relatively quiet here too with the highlights being a Green Sandpiper, 7 Snipe, a Kingfisher and a Little Grebe. A very tatty looking male Bullfinch appeared on the feeders.
4th October
No birding today. Was in Brum and had the opportunity to go birding but I felt ill and retreated to my hotel.
5th October
Still a bit flaky – back from Brum. I paid a quick visit to HGF late evening where a ringed Mute Swan juvenile was new in. The bird appeared edgy and I couldn’t read the ring.
6th October
At the feeding station today were 10 Tree Sparrows and 55 House Sparrows. Two coveys of Grey Partridges were also here (8+5) and the sparrows were subsequently made nervous by a Kestrel which seemed to take a half-hearted interest in them.
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