Sunday 6 November 2011

County and Patch

I was out for a few hours with SH this morning. Our first stop was Woodhorn churchyard. The highlight there was a Crossbill flying over.
Next we went up to Hemscott Hill Links. Whilst watching a mixed flock of around 100 Golf, Green and Chaffinch, Linnet and Twite, 10 Snow Buntings flew around in a group.
Also a Little Owl flew from a stack of hay bales near the roadside and landed on a fence post amongst the dunes, it must have been sunning itself on the reflective surface of the plastic covering the bales.
A few skeins of Pink Feet went over south and 8 Whooper Swans were on Cresswell Pond as we passed. Another Snow Bunting was calling from near the causeway.

Whilst driving back through Cresswell Village I noticed a bird hopping around the guttering of the new house at the south end of the village opposite the 30 mile an hour road sign and the green bin. When we stopped I saw that it was a first winter Black Redstart. We stayed and watched it for about 10 minutes as it flew from the roof to the garden catching insects as it went.
BR is a long overdue county tick for me and only my third ever bird after the pair I saw at Hartlepool last winter.

Not much at West Hartford on the way back but 2 Fieldfare in the trees next to the main flash was my last easy patch tick. Also more Pink Feet moved south. A Stoat was running along the track between the pools as well, stopping and looking back at me as it stood up.

124 – Fieldfare
A Comma in Woodhorn Churchyard enjoying the unseasonal weather.


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