Lunchtime Patch Tick

A very unexpected lunchtime patch tick in the shape of a Pheasant today!! Calling from undergrowth along the river. Very odd. Can only think that it wandered down from the Watermead area. Plenty of Goldcrest as well......

Raven

A pair this morning over Newtown Linford heading towards Ulverscroft. Still find it hard to get my head around Raven in the county. Not to mention Buzzard and Little Egret.

To any younger birders reading this we were never that blessed with such avian wonders. Ah, they were the days. Proper passage Ospreys in the county, not plastic ones. A Herring Gull was just that and nothing else, whatever colour it legs, Scilly was still a good crack, Franks chippy at Wisbech, Nancys, Bill Oddie was still a Goodie, ringworm, rationing, TB, the memories, the memories, the memories.

Peregrine

One this morning over the services at junction 22.

Lesser Black Backed Gull

A welcome addition to the Belgrave lunchtime list as it squabbled with its smaller relatives near the Ross Walk bridge. Black Headed Gulls are omnipresent and Common Gull are fairly frequent, particularly on the playing field. Herring Gull are unusual and LBB is a new one. Other than that no real highlights other than a Great Spotted Woodpecker.

Woodpigeon

There's been lots of stuff recently about how common Woodies have become over the last so many years as a breeding bird but they are everywhere at the minute, more than I have ever seen. Visible migration buffs will no doubt have recorded large movements of this bird over the autumn months. At the minute the lanes around Ulverscroft are packed with them. I assume they are feeding on the fallen fruit and seeds. Large flocks are also present all around Thornton. They're not every birders cup of tea but I quite like them......

Behaviour......

Not wishing to go into great detail into the antics as discussed on Mark Reeders blog (bloody well done for shaming them)but although I don't twitch any longer I used to regularly some years back. I've seen similar behaviour and a lot, lot worse. It ain't big and it ain't clever so STOP IT. Check out the Surfbirds forum, it will give the details in case you've no idea what I am rambling about.............

Waxwing

Today has brought reports from numerous east coast locations but also as near as to us as South Yorks and Cambridgeshire. Surely any day now..................

All very quiet......

Very little happening at the moment. Didn't get to start my atlas last weekend sadly but hopefully this weekend I will get the opportunity. I have also packed away the mothing gear for another year. Not a brilliant season but it certainly had it's highlights. The only other thing on the horizon is the shift eastwards in the New Year for Rob Gill's 40th birthday bash.