Winter Corn

Moving closer to being back on track. At least we're in the right month now. Still no photos but I'm working on it.

Saturday 16th / Sunday 17th November

Not a particularly eventful weekend considering it's November with only small numbers of wildfowl. I was particularly puzzled by the lack of Fieldfare and Redwing especially as there seemed to be lots of Blackbirds. But that's the mystery of migration, I guess. For once it was left to the resident farmland birds to provide the highlights - a very large count of 180+ Linnet and 9 Corn Bunting. These latter follow on from the best summer in recent years when at least 4 males were heard 'jangling their keys' in song, and then what was presumably a family party seen in Kelk in July.

Mute Swan - 2
Greylag Goose - 3
Canada Goose - 10. These are the first since March.
Wigeon - 4
Teal - 35+
Mallard - 60+
Tufted Duck - 1
Grey Partridge - 20+
Cormorant - 2
Grey Heron - 5
Sparrowhawk - 2
Buzzard - 6
Kestrel - 3
Golden Plover - 11
Lapwing - 300+. A very good count this late in autumn.
Snipe - 1
Woodcock - 2
Great Black-backed Gull - 1
Kingfisher - 2
Great Spotted Woodpecker - 3
Skylark - 20+
Meadow Pipit - 2
Blackbird - "plenty", including 80+ around Kelk on 17th.
Fieldfare - zero!
Redwing - 2
Coal Tit - 1
'Corvid' - 1000+ in pre-roost flight
Chaffinch - 30+. Largest flock noted this year.
Siskin - 11
Linnet - 180+. A very high count for November.
Yellowhammer - 20+
Reed Bunting - 4+
Corn Bunting - 9. A flock perched together on wires in Kelk.



Nothing new for the year-list this time.. stuck on 109 with one month to go!