Sunday 18 November 2012

10-11-12

Its a case of slow postings lately due to excess work and no play.  In fact this will be the last post until at least the 28th November, thats my next day off with nowt planned.  On to today and after working till mid afternoon I enjoyed a cracking walk around Whitemoor Haye.  I stoped off at the pool to begin with, checked the lake and then the smalland behind.  Birds noted were 2 Mallard (as I parked up around 15 birds flew, I assume these were Mallard), 1 Mute Swan (another 10 were found around the lanes), Wren, Woodpigeon, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, Goldfinch, 2 Fieldfare (about 170 birds in total around the whole site), 14 Siskin were feeding in the alders, a cracking male Bullfinch was showing brilliantly in the afternoon sun, 22 Wigeon, Carrion Crow, Pied Wagtail, about 300 Lapwing flew over the lake and they came from Croxall area and as I watched these a flock of about 200 Golden Plover was flying over quite high but kept changing direction as if looking for somewhere to land*, the Lapwing count increased to around 800+ with more groups seen*, a few Lesser Black-backed Gulls flew over the pool but there was 1000+ chilling out on the fields or flying around, Blue Tit, Blackbird, 1 Treecreeper, Greenfinch and Linnet.
On to a walk around the lanes and I added loads of Magpies, 2 Kestrels, 1 Moorhen, 15 Tree Sparrows, 9 Yellowhammer, 1000+ Black Headed Gulls following a tractor seeding, Dunnock, 14 Grey Partridge, 1 Buzzard, 4 Red-legged Partridge, Pheasant, 2+ Great Black-backed Gulls in with the LBBG's, and Chaffinch.
A really enjoyable afternoon around Whitemoor Haye. 
* After I had done at WH I popped to Croxall GP and had a look over the road into a field where there were several hundred Lapwing and Golden Plover.  This was the direction I saw several groups of Lapwing fly to WH.  Worth a check again.

Stuff

Whilst many of you are filling your boots with a county mega in the form of a White-rumped Sandpiper and some great views of Waxwings I am still very busy work.  Will the WRS hang on till then?  Will there be any berries for theWaxwings to eat?  I am seriously doubting it.
Is there anybody out there that can assist with my WeBS counting as I have struggled to do them of late?  I cover Croxall to Barton, some superb ground, and most pretty accessable etc.  I will be able to help some of the time but I am just not able to commit to it anymore.  If this could be you then contact me.