An eventful day

Sunday October 14. Dave and I arrived at about 9.00am to find that fog was clinging to the fields, although the blue sky above promised better things. It began to lift as we approached the pool. Three Goldcrests flicked about a small tree in the hedge, and then three Jays flew over, then another, and another. Our final tally of 12 was complicated by the fact that duplication could not be ruled out, and the true figure could have been anything between five and 25. I suspect that more than a dozen were involved. We scanned the fence at the back of the pool and soon found our goal, the Stonechat.


The Stonechat

It was rather distant but I was determined to sketch it. The bird kept disappearing so Dave wandered off to check the Tawny Owl hedge. I eventually came up with a tiny pencil sketch I was happy with, and have posted a larger colour version. I heard a Chiffchaff call before Dave returned, but it must have moved on as we didn't see it.

Mike appeared from the distance, and we showed him the Stonechat. He reported that there was no sign of yesterday's Pink-footed Goose, but we wandered in the direction of the flash anyway. Although a few had been heading south all morning, we were surprised by a loosely bound flock of at least 80 Meadow Pipits which headed over to the south-west. We suspected they were leaving a roost site en masse rather than being a part of the continuing migrational trickle of birds. I then spotted a Kingfisher on the dead tree at the end of the pool. Dave just saw it as it flew left across the pool and then disappeared leaving Mike frustrated. There were just a handful of Teal, Snipe, and Greylags on the flash, plus a Green Sandpiper. Mike would later count three after Dave and I headed homewards.

We decided to double back and walk through the pool field in the hope of a Jack Snipe, but we only recorded three Common Snipe. A walk across the stubble also produced just a few Skylarks, Linnets and Reed Buntings. John texted with news that earlier this morning he had seen pretty much the same as us but with the addition of Peregrine and Fieldfare. I have still to see a winter thrush this autumn.

We were almost back at Netherstead when I spotted a soaring Falcon. The others got onto it and I even managed to scope it. By a process of elimination we concluded it had to be a Merlin. The bird thermaled slowly south-east. It lacked the black head and contrasting white face of a Peregrine or Hobby, it appeared too slight and too long-tailed for Peregine, but not long enough in the tail for Kestrel, and with relatively broad-based but pointed wings, the latter ruling out an accipiter species. It was basically uniformly darkish brown on the underside. We were all used to seeing Merlins dashing about, so this soaring bird was quite unfamiliar.

The Stonechat and Merlin were welcome year ticks for me.

Post script: At about 2.30 pm Lyn and I were driving to Stratford through Wootton Wawen when a swirl of birds above the road attracted my attention and led to the following exchange:  "Its an Owl !!! " "What?"
" It's an Owl, a Short-eared Owl!" "Keep your eyes on the road" "I've got to stop" "You can't stop, there's nowhere to stop" We stopped. "Why haven't I got my binoculars?" "Because we're going to Marks and Spencers". I had jumped out of the car after we pulled off the main road onto someone's drive, but sadly the bird was nowhere to be seen. Driving with my neck craned round to the right I had seen that what I had  thought was just another Buzzard was actually a long-winged Owl, presumably Short-eared. Lyn has often said that my driving occasionally lacks focus, and this little episode did nothing to help my cause.

Mind you, blimey, a Short-eared Owl over Wootton Wawen.