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| Great Woodcock Habitat |
With the continuing spell of light snow showers and biting winds I was today on the look out for Woodcocks, this morning I managed just a single bird but would imagine if this weather continues I might hopefully manage a few more, and if the total gets anywhere near last winter's I will thoroughly look forward to it. In total I was only out for an hour so other bits noted in the cemo within this time were 2 Firecrests, 1 Lesser Redpoll, 7 Goldcrests, 3 Chaffinches, 1 Green Woodpecker, 10 Magpies, 2 Common Gulls, 2 Lapwings and 7 Long-tailed Tits.
Sunday 28th November
I was out for a couple of hours this morning as I needed to be back home for 9am, I covered the cemo for just an hour which produced 400 Golden Plovers heading west, 2 Chiffchaffs, 31 Lapwings west, 31 Ring-necked Parakeets, 3 Redwings, 7 Chaffinches, 3 Jays, 7 Goldcrests, 15 Black-headed Gulls, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 1 Green Woodpecker, 7 Long-tailed Tits, 2 Goldfinches, 2 Linnets and 1 Meadow Pipit. I then headed back over to Park Avenue Broadstairs when at the time just a single Waxwing was seen.
Friday 26th November
I covered the patch from 9:00 - 11:30am, which produced 2 Firecrests, 4 Chiffchaffs, 1 Brambling, 1 Peregrine west, 5 Siskins, 8 Goldcrests, 1 Lesser Redpoll, 1 Redwing, 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers, 2 Green Woodpeckers, 1 Lapwing, 5 Goldfinches, 10 Chaffinches, 3 Ring-necked Parakeets, 1 Pied Wagtail, 8 Long-tailed Tits, 2 Kestrels, 2 Meadow Pipits, 13 Skylarks, 5 Jays and 8 Black-headed Gulls.
Away from my normal site I received a text from Craig (many thanks) to say there was up to 50 Waxwings in Park Avenue Broadstairs, I managed to get over during the afternoon to which there was still 16 present, they are certainly superb birds and a joy to watch and photograph at close quarters.
Thursday 25th November
With this current cold spell of weather I'm hoping that it just might produce some more Waxwings, the cemo does have a few good berry bushes but are very spaced out so as usual I will be giving them all a thorough check on me travels. Today was certainly a cold one with a biting northerly wind especially in the open areas but nevertheless it still produced some good bits. The 2 Firecrests were still present in with 7 Goldcrests and 10 Long-tailed Tits, also 4 Chiffchaffs which remained pretty much together throughout the day. Other bits included 3 Siskins, 2 Reed Buntings, 8 Chaffinches, 2 Redwings, 1 Pied Wagtail, 1 Sparrowhawk, 2 Goldfinches, 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers, 2 Green Woodpeckers, 1 Kestrel, 7 Skylarks, 2 Meadow Pipits, 5 Jays and 7 Black-headed Gulls in the paddocks.
Tuesday 23rd November
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| Chiffchaff |
Looking at various reports around the country there still seems to be a few very late lingering summer migrants, today I was certainly on the look out but without any joy, but present was a total of 4 Chiffchaffs and although they are getting more common in winter it is still a very rare bird to over winter here, there have been 2-3 birds seen for a little while now so hopefully some may do just that, also noted today were 2 Firecrests, 17 Siskins west, 2 Lesser Redpolls west, 1 Reed Bunting, 10 Goldcrests, 1 Redwing, 3 Chaffinches, 70 Lapwings north, 2 Goldfinches, 1 Sparrowhawk, 3 Great Spotted Woodpeckers, 1 Kestrel, 12 Skylarks, 1 Meadow Pipit, 2 Pied Wagtails, 15 Magpies, 7 Jays and 2 Ring-necked Parakeets.
Friday 19th November
It was another glorious day wandering around the patch, I was out a little later this morning at 9:30am, after a busy day with the wife Christmas shopping at Lakeside yesterday. Once again I only had time to cover the cemo which produced another year tick when a Lapland Bunting (114) was seen and heard calling over the garden of rest, the bird headed off at 10:30am, in a southerly direction. Other bits included 2 Firecrests, 3 Chiffchaffs, 13 Siskins, 10 Goldcrests, 1 Golden Plover west, 3 Great Spotted Woodpeckers, 4 Pied Wagtails, 10 Chaffinches, 7 Long-tailed Tits, 25 Magpies, 3 Meadow Pipits, 2 Skylarks, 4 Jays, 5 Ring-necked Parakeets, 10 Blue Tits, 2 Goldfinches, 1 Linnet and 1 Kestrel.
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| Fieldfares |
Today felt like a mid summer's day with glorious sunshine and a good selection of birds to go with it. I decided to spend all of the time in the cemo from 9:00 - 11:35am as it was pretty busy, and wished I could have stayed longer as along with the grounded stuff there was also a few bits on the move. The morning started well with a Woodcock being flushed near the main entrance followed by a Lesser Redpoll heading west. In total there was a very respectable 39 species seen not bad for a morning's watch considering I didn't venture into the allotments/horse paddocks. Others noted this morning were 2 Firecrests, 3 Bramblings, 3 Chiffchaffs, 18 Siskins west, 11 Fieldfares, 11 Redwings, 65 Chaffinches mostly heading west, 11 Goldfinches, 10 Goldcrests, 11 Greenfinches, a very notable 8 Great Spotted Woodpeckers, 3 Green Woodpeckers, 6 Sparrowhawks, 1 Corn Bunting west, 400+ Starlings west, 6 Pied Wagtails, 7 Long-tailed Tits, 4 Ring-necked Parakeets, 10 Magpies, 10 Blue Tits, 2 Skylarks west, 1 Meadow Pipit north, 2 Linnets, 8 Jays, 4 Jackdaws south and all the other normal bits.
Friday 12th November
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| Great Spotted Woodpecker |
There was a few bits around today including the first Woodcock of the autumn, with at least 1 Firecrest, 2 Chiffchaffs and 10 Goldcrests still present. Little movement happened overhead but others noted around the cemo were 3 Great Spotted Woodpeckers, 1 Green Woodpecker, 7 Chaffinches, 1 Redwing, 7 Linnets, 7 Long-tailed Tits, 2 Pied Wagtails and 5 Ring-necked Parakeets.
Wednesday 10th November
After a few days of other commitments it was once again nice to be out, I managed to cover a morning session from 9:00 - 11:20am, to which I spent the whole time wandering around the cemo, this in turn produced 4 Firecrests, 4 Chiffchaffs, 1 Peregrine west, 7 Redwings, 7 Goldcrests, 7 Chaffinches, 105 Starlings, 7 Long-tailed Tits, 2 Goldfinches, 3 Linnets, 1 Sparrowhawk, 2 Green Woodpeckers, 3 Great Spotted Woodpeckers, 3 Pied Wagtails, 5 Jays, 3 Ring-necked Parakeets, 10 Magpies, 10 Blue Tits and 2 Skylarks.
Saturday 6th November
This morning I was only out for a couple of hours but within that time it was pretty good, in this brief spell there was no sign of the Pallas's Warbler but the cemo did produce another Waxwing which headed south at 8am, and was then followed soon after by a Tree Sparrow (113) which headed west. Other bits around included 1 Firecrest, 1 Blackcap, 2 Chiffchaffs, 1 Reed Bunting, 1 Brambling, 3 Redwings, 15 Goldcrests, 5 Siskins, 10 Goldfinches, 10 Chaffinches, 7 Long-tailed Tits, 2 Sparrowhawks, 1 Kestrel, 2 Meadow Pipits, 2 Skylarks, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 4 Green Woodpeckers, 1 Linnet, 18 Magpies, 3 Pied Wagtails, 7 Ring-necked Parakeets and 5 Jays.
Friday 5th November |
| Pallas's Warbler |
Today started off very quiet but ended up with another autumn beauty, the first 30 minutes was dead (excuse the pun) but soon got a lot better when a Firecrest was seen near the main entrance followed by 6 Siskins and 4 Lesser Redpolls which headed west, but it certainly didn't end there when unbelievably after talking about it a few days ago a House Martin my first ever record in November headed south. I by this time was in higher spirits and more bits began to emerge, I headed into the large overgrown area by the 2 chapels where about 8 Goldcrests were feeding in some low down sycamores, but soon after at 9:40am, I heard another distinct call, I new straight away what it was but I just had to find it, yes my 2nd Pallas's Warbler of the autumn and 3rd record for the cemo was calling on and off somewhere extremely close by, but how easy these birds can be missed and it took me a further 10 minutes to find the bird feeding high up in a small areas of mixed trees, I managed (just about) another record shot of the bird feeding before it headed off and out of sight, I am now 100% sure I had this bird yesterday as I also had it calling twice in the same area but it wasn't seen and it was so windy at the time I just dismissed it, perhaps the autumn isn't over after all but unfortunately after a long search I didn't see or hear the bird again. The rest of today's news included 3 Chiffchaffs, 2 Redwings, 3 Goldfinches, 15 Chaffinches, 5 Pied Wagtails, 1 Kestrel, 4 Long-tailed Tits, 18 Magpies, 1 Green Woodpecker, 3 Great Spotted Woodpeckers, 13 Starlings and 10 Blue Tits.
Thursday 4th November
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| Nice birds these Firecrests!! |
While I was birding in my own little world today I was thinking about how quick this autumn had come, and in theory nearly gone, It has certainly been an exciting time wandering around the patch spending many hours thrashing out the same areas over and over again (which I love doing) and have thoroughly enjoyed throughout, it only seems about 5 minutes ago that this place was buzzing with all kinds of birds both common and the scare/rarer migrants which once again has included a fantastic autumn for the latter, this year it has produced no fewer than 1 Dusky Warbler (2nd record), 1 Pallas's Warbler (2nd record), 3-4 Yellow-browed Warblers and 3 Richard's Pipits (record year by far), with other goodies such as 1 White Stork, 1 Wryneck, 1 possibly 2 Hooded Crows, 6 Waxwings (so far) and 2 Rough-legged Buzzards. So far it has also been a record year for Common Buzzards with at least (117) birds seen including a total of 60 birds on one day, and how many more missed I wouldn't like to say, also Red Kites and Reed Buntings with the latter holding up to 20 birds on a single day far greater than has ever been recorded here before, but although most of this excitement will shortly be over for another few months It will also be nice to look back and reflect on old bird notes/records from the last 19 years. Now for today's news I covered the patch for most of the morning in a blustery westerly wind, it was pretty difficult at times even in the most sheltered of areas, highlight of the day was a Snow Bunting (112), which headed west over the cemetery and is only the 2nd record for the site. There was at least 4 Firecrests including one bird showing about 4 feet away, also 3 Chiffchaffs, 5 Goldcrests, 1 Green Woodpecker, 3 Chaffinches, just 1 Redwing, 1 Goldfinch, 3 Meadow Pipits, 1 Sparrowhawk, 3 Ring-necked Parakeets, 1 Pied Wagtail and a slight passage of 15 Great Tits, and to wrap the day off a lovely hat-trick by Stevie G in Liverpool's 3-1 win over Napoli (lets hope it lasts against Chelsea at the weekend).
Monday 1st November
I was out today from 7:20 - 10:05am, and there was a good selection to be seen. As soon as I arrived it was busy with Goldcrests with at least 15 being recorded in one bit of bramble alone along with 4 Firecrests and 3 Chiffchaffs, there was also a few bits on the move including 10 Bramblings, 74 Redwings, 8 Fieldfares, 1 Lesser Redpoll, 3 Siskins, 18 Chaffinches, 1 Golden Plover, 48 Lapwings, 4 Goldfinches, 2 alba Wagtails, and 60 Starlings. Others noted were 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 1 Green Woodpecker, 3 Linnets, 7 Long-tailed Tits and 15 Ring-necked Parakeets.
