birdman
Орнитол&
Well, it's almost 4 months since my last outback trip - the return from which I have only just posted! - since for various reasons I seem to have taken a "summer break".
I won't bore you with the details, or even the overview, but just say that it wasn't an intentional hiaetus, and I hope to get back to normal henceforth.
Well, today was a fine early autumn day, and although there was a little rain around, it didn't trouble us.
Not surprisingly, all the trees and bushes are still lush, and so spotting anything amongst the foliage was a challenge.
It was a funny sort of a time, seemingly very quiet, but with little pockets of activity going on here, there and everywhere.
After barely seeing a thing until we reached the pond, a look over the water (very low!) brought forth a dozen Mallards, including a white duck, and half a dozen Moorhens.
All you folks out there who think of Moorhens as fairly mundane should consider something I read on BF in the last couple of days. One of our members, Dr. Manjeet Singh, signs on from Malaysia, and with all the Malaysian avifauna to choose from, his favorite bird is the humble Moorhen! Rather makes you rethink a bit... well it does me!
Anyway, back to the walk.
Most of the aforementioned pockets of excitement were pic'n'mix flocks of buntings/finches/tits which, unfortunately, remained largely unidentifiable. We pinned down a few, but the numbers below will be understatements for these chaps.
Walking towards the far side of the area, heading towards the hotel grounds, another brief moment of activity was provided by ten Grey Partridges exploding from the path ahead of us, and over the hedge.
This hedge, mostly hawthorn, was providing cover for yet more pick'n'mix, again eluding us.
Interestingly I think, the hedge, which had evidently been burnt recently, was producing a great deal of new growth that was in flower.
I am reliably informed that hawthorn flowers in May. (Further around we noticed a few poppies and some spilled seed flax also in flower.)
The biggest surprise of the day, was finding one (but I think as many as three) Chiffchaffs still in the wooded area on the eastern edge.
I don't know how unusual this is (I haven't checked back yet) and I guess it is still only September, but it was unexpected. Maybe they will overwinter?
Anyway, the rest of the walk was interesting, but added little, until we saw some Meadow Pipits flitting about, but after so long out of the habit, it was a nice way to get back to the old routine!
Oh... I should just say though, tha the Mute Swans have succesfully reared a healthy looking cygnet.
Plain text = Outback day tick
Bold text = Outback year tick
(Number in brackets is highest number of individuals identified at one time)
Grey Partridge (Perdix perdix) : 10 (10)
Mute Swan (Cygnus olor) : 3 (3)
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) : 12 (12)
Green Woodpecker (Picus viridis) : 3 (1)
Feral Pigeon (Columba livia) : 9 (4)
Woodpigeon (Columba palumbus) : 17 (6)
Collared Dove (Streptopelia decaocto) : 2 (2)
Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) : 8 (7)
Buzzard (Buteo buteo) : 1 (1)
Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) : 3 (1)
Magpie (Pica pica) : 17 (10)
Jackdaw (Corvus monedula) : 6 (4)
Carrion Crow (Corvus corone) : 20 (14)
Blackbird (Turdus merula) : 2 (2)
Mistle Thrush (Turdus viscivorus) : 1 (1)
Robin (Erithacus rubecula) : 2 (1)
Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) : 2 (1)
Nuthatch (Sitta europaea) : 2 (1)
Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes) : 3 (2)
Blue Tit (Parus caeruleus) : 1 (1)
House Martin (Delichon urbicum) : 4 (3)
Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita) : 1 (1)
Meadow Pipit (Anthus pratensis) : 6 (3)
Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs) : 12 (6)
Greenfinch (Carduelis chloris) : 3 (2)
Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis) : 13 (9)
Linnet (Carduelis cannabina) : 10 (10)
Yellowhammer (Emberiza citrinella) : 2 (1)
I won't bore you with the details, or even the overview, but just say that it wasn't an intentional hiaetus, and I hope to get back to normal henceforth.
Well, today was a fine early autumn day, and although there was a little rain around, it didn't trouble us.
Not surprisingly, all the trees and bushes are still lush, and so spotting anything amongst the foliage was a challenge.
It was a funny sort of a time, seemingly very quiet, but with little pockets of activity going on here, there and everywhere.
After barely seeing a thing until we reached the pond, a look over the water (very low!) brought forth a dozen Mallards, including a white duck, and half a dozen Moorhens.
All you folks out there who think of Moorhens as fairly mundane should consider something I read on BF in the last couple of days. One of our members, Dr. Manjeet Singh, signs on from Malaysia, and with all the Malaysian avifauna to choose from, his favorite bird is the humble Moorhen! Rather makes you rethink a bit... well it does me!
Anyway, back to the walk.
Most of the aforementioned pockets of excitement were pic'n'mix flocks of buntings/finches/tits which, unfortunately, remained largely unidentifiable. We pinned down a few, but the numbers below will be understatements for these chaps.
Walking towards the far side of the area, heading towards the hotel grounds, another brief moment of activity was provided by ten Grey Partridges exploding from the path ahead of us, and over the hedge.
This hedge, mostly hawthorn, was providing cover for yet more pick'n'mix, again eluding us.
Interestingly I think, the hedge, which had evidently been burnt recently, was producing a great deal of new growth that was in flower.
I am reliably informed that hawthorn flowers in May. (Further around we noticed a few poppies and some spilled seed flax also in flower.)
The biggest surprise of the day, was finding one (but I think as many as three) Chiffchaffs still in the wooded area on the eastern edge.
I don't know how unusual this is (I haven't checked back yet) and I guess it is still only September, but it was unexpected. Maybe they will overwinter?
Anyway, the rest of the walk was interesting, but added little, until we saw some Meadow Pipits flitting about, but after so long out of the habit, it was a nice way to get back to the old routine!
Oh... I should just say though, tha the Mute Swans have succesfully reared a healthy looking cygnet.
Plain text = Outback day tick
Bold text = Outback year tick
(Number in brackets is highest number of individuals identified at one time)
Grey Partridge (Perdix perdix) : 10 (10)
Mute Swan (Cygnus olor) : 3 (3)
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) : 12 (12)
Green Woodpecker (Picus viridis) : 3 (1)
Feral Pigeon (Columba livia) : 9 (4)
Woodpigeon (Columba palumbus) : 17 (6)
Collared Dove (Streptopelia decaocto) : 2 (2)
Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) : 8 (7)
Buzzard (Buteo buteo) : 1 (1)
Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) : 3 (1)
Magpie (Pica pica) : 17 (10)
Jackdaw (Corvus monedula) : 6 (4)
Carrion Crow (Corvus corone) : 20 (14)
Blackbird (Turdus merula) : 2 (2)
Mistle Thrush (Turdus viscivorus) : 1 (1)
Robin (Erithacus rubecula) : 2 (1)
Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) : 2 (1)
Nuthatch (Sitta europaea) : 2 (1)
Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes) : 3 (2)
Blue Tit (Parus caeruleus) : 1 (1)
House Martin (Delichon urbicum) : 4 (3)
Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita) : 1 (1)
Meadow Pipit (Anthus pratensis) : 6 (3)
Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs) : 12 (6)
Greenfinch (Carduelis chloris) : 3 (2)
Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis) : 13 (9)
Linnet (Carduelis cannabina) : 10 (10)
Yellowhammer (Emberiza citrinella) : 2 (1)
