5.00am Stoney Brow to small lake near College Farm and Rough Park Wood

Grasshopper Warbler - 3 still reeling persistently
Surprisingly 2 in new locations

So a total of 10 locations where Grasshopper warbler have been singing in the 'patch'
...at locations spaced far enough part to conclude that they constitute a separate territory

I know that 2 of these stopped singing early on, so possibly moved on, these new birds could perhaps be unmated males
trying their luck elsewhere

I think an estimate of 6 territories is probably more realistic still a very healthy population

Juvenile warblers much in evidence whitethroat, blackcap, chiffchaff a good breeding season?

A Mixed tit and warbler flock

Also Reed Bunting singing, Linnet, Bullfinch, Buzzard etc

4.30am Stoney Brow to small lake near College Farm
Birds in still in Song
Grasshopper Warbler, Whitethroat, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Reed Bunting, Skylark, Willow warbler, Song Thrush, Blackbird, Wren, Chaffinch, Goldcrest, Robin
Stock Dove 1
Treecreeper 1 (seem to have been thin on the ground here)
Curlew 1 (maybe heading back to the coast)

Interesting Swallow behaviour - two (short streamers indicating young birds) were flying together eastwards, one flying normally, the other would periodically, perform a very fast erratic series of random tumbling, darting movements - similar to the kind of flight you see when a swallow is trying to escape a Hobby. I don't think there was an aerial predator around and I don't think it was a feeding behaviour. I wonder if it was perhaps practising its a predator avoidance?

5.30am Stoney Brow to small lake near College Farm
Stock Dove 1 Singing
Grasshopper warbler 2 singing close to each other, in competition
Lesser Whitethroat 1 still singing persistently
Red Legged Partridge 1

Tree Sparrow + juvenile Great Spotted Woodpecker on Nut feeder in the Garden
Juvenile Chaffinch and Wrens being fed

-- Edited by Phil Barnett on Monday 16th of June 2014 07:29:11 AM

6.00am Beacon Country Park to the Small Lake near College Farm + Rough Park Wood

Grasshopper warbler 1 singing
Yellowhammer 1 singing
House Martin 1 -I don't see a lot here

Swallow, Whitethroat, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Coal Tit, Carrion Crow fledglings

Chiffchaff, Song thrush carrying food to nest

Lesser Whitethroat 1 singing persistently
Of the 5 singing male Lesser Whitethroats, that I've found, on the patch 2 are persistent mid-June singers

also Cinnabar Moth, Large Skipper, Common Carpet Moth, Northern Marsh Orchids everywhere

-- Edited by Phil Barnett on Friday 13th of June 2014 08:10:43 AM

5.15am Beacon Country Park to the Small Lake near College Farm + Rough Park Wood

Lesser Whitethroat 1 singing persistently

Grasshopper warbler 3 Reeling including 2 probable 'new' (i.e ones I hadn't found previously)

Wren, Robin and Magpie fledglings

Common Whitethroat, Blackcap, Reed Bunting carrying food



-- Edited by Phil Barnett on Tuesday 10th of June 2014 07:52:32 AM

5.15am Beacon Country Park to the Small Lake near College Farm + Rough Park Wood
S= singing

Lesser Whitethroat 1(s) a 'new' one - singing persistently on this late date so likely to be a unmated bird
Grasshopper warbler 1 (s) this one, or at least one singing from the same spot, had stopped singing a couple of weeks ago, now singing again very persistently, may have lost its mate?
Common Whitethroat 5 (s)
Willow Warbler 4 (s)
Sedge warbler 1 (s)
Blackcap 1 (s)
Chiffchaff 2 (s)
Linnet 2
Bullfinch 2
Sparrow Hawk 1
etc

Canada Goose 2 with 4 goslings
Mallard 2 with 7 ducklings
Tufted Duck 2

4.30am Beacon Country Park to the Small Lake near College Farm + Rough Park Wood
S= singing

Garden warbler 1 (s) - another 'new' one
(4 Garden Warbler territories now found in 'the patch')
http://www.abcissa-websites.co.uk/maps/map_total_area_16_5_2014.jpg

Common Whitethroat 5 (s)
Willow Warbler 5 (s)
Sedge warbler 1 (s)
Blackcap 2 (s)
Chiffchaff 2 (s)
Bullfinch 1
Song Thrush 3 (s)
Swallow 4
etc

Canada Goose 2 with 4 goslings
Mallard 2 with 7 ducklings
Coot 1
Moorhen 1

Every time I approach the lake the (presumably) male Canada Goose swims up to aggressively hiss at me - bringing all the goslings in tow. This seems like an odd strategy as it's constantly bringing the goslings close to what it must regard as a potential threat to them.

Stoney Brow - nice to hear a Reed Bunting singing as they seem to be in short supply here , this year


-- Edited by Phil Barnett on Friday 30th of May 2014 09:59:54 AM

5.00am - area to the west of Stoney Brow
(s = singing)
Garden warbler 1 (s) - a new one
Grey Partridge 1 female
Whitethroat 6 (s)
Willow warbler 2 (s)
Chiffchaff 1( s)
Blackcap 1 (s)
Goldcrest 2 (s)
Yellowhammer 1 (s)
Treecreeper 1

A Buzzard had a prolonged arial tussle with a Carrion Crow, after which, while perched, it was repeatedly dive-bombed by a Kestrel.
When the Kestrel had finished it was chased off by a screeching Jay. If thats the kind of thing Buzzards regularly have to put up with,
remind me not to come back as a Buzzard in the next life.

Had a very close view of a Tawny Owl, which in a similar vein was mobbed by a Blackbird.

Also 3 Roe Deer

5.00 am Lafford Lane - Dean wood - Walthew Green
before it started raining

3 Tawny Owlets perched together - very striking size difference, the largest was practically adult size, the smallest about Collard Dove size,
then the....er....middle sized one

Grey Partridges 1 pair - I have quite often seen Red-legged in this area but not previously seen Grey's
Another pair of Partridges seen flying away from me, in the distance, also looked liked like Grey's but I couldn't be sure.

3 Yellowhammers singing
(now 10 Yellowhammer territories I am aware of the in the whole Roby Mill area)

Skylark 2 singing
Lapwing pair
Whitethroat 4 singing
Blackcap 3 singing
Willow warbler 1 singing
Chiffchaff 1 singing
Song Thrush 2 singing
Mistle Thrush 1 singing
Linnet 1 singing
Swallow 4
Pied wagtail 1
Treecreeper 2
Kestrel 1
Heron 2
etc

1 Brown Hare

This is a 'record shot' of the owls
http://www.abcissa-websites.co.uk/pix/93.jpg

p.s I like the fact that these days you can get away with showing terrible photos by claiming that they're 'record shots'
also good to see that owls get red-eye as well as people


-- Edited by Phil Barnett on Thursday 22nd of May 2014 10:33:13 AM

4.45am - area to the west of Stoney Brow
A gorgeous dawn - photo here
http://squinancywort.tumblr.com/image/86392298218

A notable drop off in song for some species notably Grasshopper warbler & Lesser Whitethroat,
but still a beautiful Dawn Chorus
(s = singing)
Sedge warbler 1 (s)
Goldcrest 3 (s)
Yellowhammer 1 (s)
Bullfinch 1
Tawny Owl 1
Sparrowhawk 1
Treecreeper 1
Long-tailed Tit family party
Common Whitethroat, Blackcap, Chiffchaff , Willow warbler
..etc

A couple of Roe Deer bounded across my path and the first of what will be (if last year is anything to go by)
a fantastic display of Northern Purple Orchids






-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Wednesday 21st of May 2014 10:23:51 AM

5.00am Beacon Country Park to the Small Lake near College Farm
S= singing
Garden warbler 1 (s) - a 'new' one
Grasshopper Warbler 2 (s)
Common Whitethroat 6 (s)
Willow Warbler 7 (s)
Sedge warbler 1
Blackcap 2 (s)
Chiffchaff 2 (s)
Reed Bunting 1 (s)
Yellowhammer 1 (s)
Linnet 1 (s)
Bullfinch 2
Skylark 1 (s)
Song Thrush 2 (s)
Dunnock 1
Goldfinch & Starling fledglings
etc

Canada Goose 2 with 4 goslings
Tufted Duck 2
Coot 1
Moorhen 1
Little Grebe 2

I added an area to the south of the area - as per the previous map - to that which I am recording.

i.e the shaded area at the bottom of this map.
http://www.abcissa-websites.co.uk/maps/map_total_area_16_5_2014.jpg

This is habitat which is very much contiguous with that immediately to the north of it, so it makes sense of add it.
i.e former pasture which has reverted to Rough Grassland / Willow / Hawthorne Scrub. The whole area constitutes a reasonably discrete unit from an ecological point of view.

A total area of 148 hectares.

I added the following to the previous counts:
(s - singing)

Cuckoo 1 heard - seemed to be coming from the direction of Beacon Park Golf Course (therefore outside the area defined in the map)
the first I've heard in the Roby Mill / Dalton area

Whitethroat 5 (s)
Lesser whitethroat 1 (s)
Blackcap 3 (s)
Grasshopper warbler 1 (s)
Sedge warbler 1(s)
Willow Warbler 5 (s)
Chiffchaff 7 (s)
Goldcrest 1 (s)
Yellowhammer 1 (s)
Song thrush 3 (s)

Amongst others

This now makes a rather remarkable 42 singing whitethroats in the whole area. Last year I counted 27 here however this was over a smaller area and carried out in a much less systematic way. Much of the area is perfect Whitethroat habitat - patches of brambles/rough grassland/isolated bushes.

Also totals of 6 Grasshopper warblers, 4 Lesser Whitethroats, 4 Sedge warblers, 35 Willow warblers, 26 Chiffchaffs, 28 Blackcaps
(singing males in each case)

-- Edited by Phil Barnett on Friday 16th of May 2014 08:46:06 AM

The total area I am recording is depicted in this map
http://www.abcissa-websites.co.uk/maps/map_total_area_15_5_2014.jpg
an area of 133 Hectares

This morning I 'did' a section I hadn't visited this year and added a further:
(s = singing)
Blackcap 7 (s)
Chiffchaff 5 (s)
Willow Warbler 3 (s)
Whitethroat 4 (s)
Sedge warbler 1 (s)
Goldcrest 3 (s)
Great Spotted Woodpecker 1
Bullfinch 1
Song Thrush 2 (s)
5 Canada Geese 5 Goslings
3 Tufted Ducks

...amongst others

Lee I replied to your post below

Hi Lee, yes I've been there a couple of times, didn't know it was called 'The Slacks' though! Redstart and Spotted Flycatcher - excellent!

Yes, as I mentioned in one my posts, the area Bounded by Stoney Brow, Farley Lane, Beacon Road, College Farm has populations of some red/orange data species which are significant at a Lancashire level. I'm trying to get it all on record, as I have a feeling that somewhere along the line there's going to pressure to develop it....our records could prove valuable in this respect.

By the way my best bird, by far, over there was a Corncrake I flushed last September.

-- Edited by Phil Barnett on Thursday 15th of May 2014 10:23:09 AM

14/5/14.


11 AM.

SCHOOL LANE/WALTHEW GREEN(SLACKS AREA).

SPOTTED FLYCATCHER 1..SOUTH SIDE OF SLACKS
REDSTART 1 (female)..SOUTH SIDE OF SLACKS
BLACKCAP 3 SINGING
CHIFFCHAFF 1 SINGING
BULLFINCH 1 MALE
YELLOWHAMMER 2 SINGING.

Hi phil, don't know if you have managed to get down to the slacks yet!,the footpath entrance is at the far end of walthew
green or past the house( set back) opposite the phone box near the grave yard exit.
Its a good place also under watched,good for warblers in spring and autumn , also seen hawfinch there a while ago
and 2 years ago hobby...from lee bailey. ps good to know that the college is being really watched now...one day
there will be houses on it!!!!!!!!.

5.15am Beacon Country Park to the Small Lake near College Farm
S= singing
Garden warbler 1 (s)
Grasshopper Warbler 1 (s)
Common Whitethroats 10 (s)
Willow Warblers 8 (s)
Sedge warbler 1 (s)
Blackcap 3 (s)
Chiffchaff 3 (s)
Reed Bunting 1 (s)
Linnet 1 (s)
Bullfinch 1
etc

Buzzard 1
Canada Goose 2 with 4 goslings
Mallard 2 with 7 ducklings
Coot 2
Moorhen 1
Little Grebe 1

The Lesser Whitethroat Ive noted here on several occasion seems to have stopped singing. Assuming it hasnt move on/been predated, this probably a good sign as, I understand, song drops off once they're mated. Last year there was a Lesser Whitethroat here that continued to sing persistently into June. On the contrary this probably wasnt a good sign.


-- Edited by Phil Barnett on Wednesday 14th of May 2014 07:25:07 AM

Sunday 11th May 10.00am Farley Lane to Lees wood
(s = singing)
Yellowhammer 6 (3s)
(8 Yellowhammer territories that I'm aware of in the Roby Mill area)

Skylark 2 (1s)
Common Whitethroat 1 (s)
Blackcap 1 (s)
Chiffchaff 1 (s)
Swift 25
Swallow 5
House Martin 2
kestrel 1

Also near Beacon Country Park there's a Whitethroat singing, that has an unusual song - more Redstart than typical Whitethroat-sounding. In fact the first time I heard it, a couple of weeks ago, I got pretty excited thinking it perhaps WAS a Redstart (although it wasn't quite right for Redstart either).

Even when I got the binoculars on it I had a hard time convincing myself that the bird singing and what I was looking at were one and the same. After a spell of 'doing Redstart' it seems to revert back to more typical Whitethroat......interesting.

-- Edited by Phil Barnett on Monday 12th of May 2014 11:28:00 AM

Originally posted by Lee Bailey today:

11/5/2014......12:30pm.

ADULT PEREGRINE HEADING NORTH EAST FROM SOUTH WEST, over Roby Mill.

Originally posted by Lee Bailey today:


11/5/2014.....8:30 AM -10:00AM.

Area covered today....ST JOSEPHS COLLEGE GOLF COURSE(disused) and KNOWLES FARM.


LESSER BLACKBACKED GULLS....100+ (SOUTH).
WOOD PIGEON...11 (SINGING,st josephs college golf course).
SWIFT...3 (NORTH).
JACKDAW..30 (SOUTH).
CARRION CROW...5 (st josephs college golf course).
SWALLOW..6 (st josephs college golf course).
WILLOW WARBLER..2 (singing,knowles farm,st josephs college golf course).
BLACKCAP..2 (singing,knowles farm).
LESSER WHITETHROAT...1 (st josephs college golf course).
COMMON WHITETHROAT...8 (singing/display..Knowles farm,st josephs college golf course).
NUTHATCH..1 (Knowles farm).
BLACKBIRD..7 MALE/ 1 FEMALE (gardens,knowles farm,st josephs college golf course).
SONG THRUSH...3 (including 2 singing) (Knowles farm).
MISTLE THRUSH..2 (st josephs college golf course).
ROBIN..13 (singing,st josephs college golf course,knowles farm,gardens).
HOUSE SPARROW..14 MALE/ 12 FEMALE (through the village).
CHAFFINCH..17 MALE singing (Knowles farm,st josephs college golf course).
BULLFINCH..1 MALE ( st josephs college golf course).


(st josephs college golf course is a disused golf course with areas of scrub,woodland(mixed),rough grassland).
(stoney brow,roby mill,is a mixture of gardens,srub-fields,farmland and small woodland).
(walthew green,lafford lane is a mixture of farmland with patches of woodland on the western boundary of dean wood
golf course....NOTE CARE SHOULD BE TAKEN BIRDING NEAR WALTHEW GREEN AS THERE ARE PRIVATE HOUSES AND
A CARE HOME FOR THE ELDERLY).

An area I hope to cover in the future is an area known locally as the slacks, a steep sided mixed wooded area,stream
with farmland and rough grassland near by. Has been good in the past for warblers,finches during passage time.
In the past redstart,hawfinch have been noted there ,as have hobby.
I have lived in the village for 41 years and birded since I was six here,if anyone has any questions etc I would be happy
to help!....

5.30 - area to the west of Stoney Brow as per this map
www.abcissa-websites.co.uk/maps/map_2_5_2014.jpg (an area of c34 ha)
(s = singing)

Grasshopper warbler 2 (s)
Common Whitethroat 11 (s)
Lesser Whitethroat 2 (s)
Blackcap 9 (s)
Chiffchaff 6 (s)
Willow warbler 11 (s)
Reed Bunting 0 (a noteworthy absence)
Song Thrush 7 (s)
Goldcrest 5 (s)
Dunnock 2 (s)
Goldfinch 2 (s)
Bullfinch 2
Linnet 1
Buzzard 1
Swallow 2

Rather than trying to record everything I'm going to focus on migrants, red / green data species, less common species
3 Lesser Whitethroat territories now found in the whole area (Farley Lane - Stoney Brow - Beacon Lane - College Farm)



-- Edited by Phil Barnett on Friday 2nd of May 2014 09:59:44 AM

5.45 - area to the East of Beacon Road as per this map
www.abcissa-websites.co.uk/maps/map_30_4_2014.jpg
(s = singing)

Grasshopper warbler 3 reeling
Common Whitethroat 16 (s)
Lesser Whitethroat 1 (s)
Blackcap 6 (s)
Garden Warbler 1 (s)
Chiffchaff 8 (s)
Willow warbler 16 (s)
Reed Bunting 1 (s)
Song Thrush 3 (s)
Mistle Thrush 1 (s)
kestrel 1
Great Spotted Woodpecker 1 drumming
Tawny Owl 1 being mobbed
Sand Martins 2 -> East
Red Legged Partridges 2


The area in the map above is approximately 21 hectares, Willow warbler and Whitethroat therefore are at very healthy densities 0.75 per ha

I intend to cover the whole area (Farley Lane - Stoney Brow - Beacon Lane - College Farm) in a much more systematic fashion this year. I think it holds populations of some Red / Amber listed species which are important at a County level.

-- Edited by Phil Barnett on Wednesday 30th of April 2014 09:36:52 AM

5.45 - Scrubby area west of Stoney Brow - foggy (s = singing)
Grasshopper warbler 2 maybe 3 reeling
Common Whitethroat 9 (s)
Lesser Whitethroat 1 (s)
Blackcap 6 (s)
Chiffchaff 6 (s)
Willow warbler 10 (s)
Goldcrest 3 (s)
Wren 8 (s)
Song thrush 6 (s)
Blackbird 4 (s)
Skylark 1 (s)
Yellowhammer 1
Linnet 5
Bullfinch 1 pair
Buzzard 1 calling

- a healthy population of Grasshopper warblers with 5 or 6 in the whole area (stoney Brow - Beacon Road - College Farm)
possibly more to arrive and I haven't covered all the possible locations

6.00 Beacon Country Park to the Small Lake near College Farm
1 Garden warbler Singing
2 Grasshopper Warblers reeling
1 Lesser Whitethroat
12 Common Whitethroats singing
1 Yellowhammer singing
etc
Pair of Bullfinches, female carrying nesting material
1 Siskin over

6.15 Beacon Country Park to the Small Lake near College Farm
1 male Whinchat, delighted to see this - the kind of uncommon migrant I thought this area should produce
3 Grasshopper Warblers reeling
11 Common Whitethroats singing
11 Willow Warblers singing
4 Chiffchaffs (only 4) singing
4 Blackcaps singing
2 Linnets singing
2 Reed Buntings singing
a Pair of Tufted Ducks on the lake


-- Edited by Phil Barnett on Friday 25th of April 2014 02:38:33 PM

11.00 - Scrubby area to the east of Beacon Country Park
1 Grasshopper Warbler reeling - first here this year for me
Whitethroats now in good numbers
and Willow warblers seem more plentiful that last year

6.00 - Scrubby area between Stoney Brow and Beacon Country Park
Common Whitethroat (first one)
Lesser Whitethroat 1 singing
Yellowhammer 1 singing
Linnet 2 singing
Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Blackcap - plenty
Sparrowhawk 1

Viz mig amounted to 1 Swallow + 1 Meadow Pipit -> North

6.15 - Scrubby area between Stoney Brow and Beacon Country Park

1 Lesser Whitethoat heard singing and later seen

Very nice to find one near Stoney Brow, last year there was one further up near the beacon.
I had drawn a blank with hoped for Common Whitethroat or Grasshopper warbler,
but this made my morning, also had been hoping for one on my previous mornings trip to Martin Mere.

Plenty of Chiffchaff, Willow warbler and Blackcap also heard

6.30 - Beacon Country Park to Walthew Park - before the rain!

1 Willow Warbler - singing (my first)
1 Blackcap - singing (my first here)
9 Chiffchaffs - singing
2 Linnets - singing
Bullfinch - 1 pair
1 Siskin - over
9 Meadow Pipits - over
1 kestrel
1 Little Grebe

-- Edited by Phil Barnett on Wednesday 2nd of April 2014 08:29:12 AM

6.45 - Scrubby area between Stoney Brow and Beacon Country Park

1 Chiffchaff singing

(quite a lot of places have had Chiffchaffs over the last few days - early for such a general arrival - as opposed to the odd 'outlier' which
can turn up at almost an time)

2 Yellowhammer Singing - didn't hear any singing here last year


1 Buzzard
2 Redpoll

A distant wader may well have been a Whimbrel
- can't put it down as anything more that a possible though

7.45 - Scrubby area between Stoney Brow and Beacon Country Park

Pink Footed Goose c 200 -> E
Tawny Owl 1
Kestrel 1
Siskin 1
Bullfinch 3
Treecreeper 1
Goldcrest 1
Redwing 3
Yellowhammer 1
Song thrush 1 singing
etc

7.45 - Scrubby area between Stoney Brow and Beacon Country Park

Brambling 2
Fieldfare 22 -> w
Pink-Footed Goose 5 -> n
Yellowhammer 4
Goldcrest 8
Treecreeper 1
Kestrel 1
Tawny Owl 1
Buzzard 1
no Redwings

Over the past week, in the garden, a Pair Tree Sparrows have been frequently on the seed feeder + going into a nestbox.
The male attempted to copulated with the female a couple of days ago - I thought this was a strange behaviour for November, however
according to Dennis Summer Smith's - 'The Tree Sparrow' it's unusual but not unknown.

A pair of Tree Sparrows showing a keen interest in a nesting box in the garden this morning

7.45
Pink-Footed Goose 30 + 40 -> S; 70 + 75 -> E
22 Mistle Thrush, 1 flock -> S
c 100 Fieldfare in small flocks - > S
c 80 Redwing in small flock -> S
c 200 Wood Pigeon - > S
1 Siskin over
1 Redpoll over
1 Meadow Pipit over

In my last three visits - I've heard or seen a Crossbill. The one flying over on Monday, I assumed to be on passage,
however I've since heard Crossbill calls from a small stand of Scots Pines, so there's possibly one (or maybe more)
which has taken up temporary residence....which is nice.

7.45
1 Crossbill -> SW
1 Brambling -> S
A few Redwings and Fieldfares
Goldcrests everywhere again, looks like yet another influx

-- Edited by Phil Barnett on Monday 21st of October 2013 09:20:24 AM

7.30 - 8.30am
Scrubby area between Stoney Brow and Beacon Country Park
1 Fieldfare over - first one here this autumn (finally)
1 Brambling
70 + 30 Pink Footed Geese -> SE
2 Blackcaps
1 Siskin over
Redwings 10

Another arrival of Song Thrushes (c20 flightly birds looking like new arrivals)
and Goldcrests (c20)

Also seen:
Canada Goose, Black headed Gull, Pheasant, Wood Pigeon, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Kestrel, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Jay, Magpie, Starling, House Sparrow, Dunnock, Wren, Pied Wagtail, Meadow Pipit, Bullfinch, Greenfinch, Chaffinch, Linnet, Goldfinch, Blackbird, Robin, Mistle thrush, Blue Tit, Coal tit, Great Tit, Nuthatch, Reed Bunting, Yellow Hammer - 38 Species

9.09am
28 Cormorants over the house in a fairly tight flock -> NE




-- Edited by Phil Barnett on Thursday 17th of October 2013 09:31:12 AM

7.30
A flock of 9 Yellowhammers flying quite high west was interesting
1 Chiffchaff
1 Blackcap
around 100 redwings in the area

7.45am - 8.45am
Scrubby area between Stoney Brow and Beacon Country Park

32 Pink Footed Geese -> SW
2 Redwings

but very quiet compared to last week,
5 Goldcrest as opposed to a multitude and
just the one Chiffchaff as opposed to double figures last week

Also very little overhead movement, just 1 skylark and 1 pied wagtail
(plus the geese)

p.s c120 Pink Footed Geese > N at 1.30 over the house



-- Edited by Phil Barnett on Tuesday 8th of October 2013 02:09:01 PM

Phil Barnett wrote:

---

Well I was rather jealous of your Hobby and late Whitethroat yesterday Paul

- the grass is always greener on the other persons patch

(as I almost never say)

---

Need a like button :)

Well I was rather jealous of your Hobby and late Whitethroat yesterday Paul

- the grass is always greener on the other persons patch

(as I almost never say)

Phil Barnett wrote:

---

7.15am - 9.15am
Scrubby area between Stoney Brow and Beacon Country Park
Seems to have been another arrival of thrushes
Song Thrushes c 30
Blackbirds c 20
also 11 contact calling Dunnocks, probably also arrivals, interestingly I think Dunnock autumn passage, such as it is,
is often associated with movements of thrushes.

Chiffchaff 11 (4 singing)
Blackcap 1 heard calling
Mistle Thrush 1 singing sub-song
Goldcrest a few heard but many fewer than yesterday

Overhead
1 House Martin
8 Siskins
3 Skylarks
25 Meadow Pipits
5 Linnets
1 Pied Wagtail
2 Dunnocks
2 Yellowhammers

---

Great sightings Phil, looks like your patch is better!

7.15am - 9.15am
Scrubby area between Stoney Brow and Beacon Country Park
Seems to have been another arrival of thrushes
Song Thrushes c 30
Blackbirds c 20
also 11 contact calling Dunnocks, probably also arrivals, interestingly I think Dunnock autumn passage, such as it is,
is often associated with movements of thrushes.

Chiffchaff 11 (4 singing)
Blackcap 1 heard calling
Mistle Thrush 1 singing sub-song
Goldcrest a few heard but many fewer than yesterday

Overhead
1 House Martin
8 Siskins
3 Skylarks
25 Meadow Pipits
5 Linnets
1 Pied Wagtail
2 Dunnocks
2 Yellowhammers

7.15am - 9.00am
Scrubby area between Stoney Brow and Beacon Country Park (my patch)
Seems to have been a big arrival overnight - Goldcrests, Chiffchaffs, Song Thrushes, Robins (slightly dissapointingly nothing unusual)

Goldcrest- there seemed to be a continual chorus of Goldcrest calls (whereas none yesterday)
difficult to estimate the number heard but 30 would be very conservative, probably many more birds in the area

Chiffchaff - 14 (3 singing). There have been about 5 on my last few visits - a lot more this morning
I don't remember October Chiffchaffs ever being so plentiful

Song Thrush - 15 (also 3 Blackbird, no Redwing though as I'd hoped)

Robin - 21 calling

Bullfinch - 8 These were probably also arrivals

Overhead - 25 Meadow Pipits, 3 Pied Wagtails, 2 Linnets

p.s later on 3 more Chiffchaffs in Garden (ajoining the area above)



-- Edited by Phil Barnett on Thursday 3rd of October 2013 10:18:14 AM