Sunday November 16

A cloudy, mild day with hardly any breeze. After a quick look around Netherstead had produced 250 Greylag Geese heading south having been flushed from a distant field by a farmer in a 4 X 4, Dave and I headed through the village for a change and this proved to be a pretty reasonable plan.

We noticed several Redpolls flying over, and then six Bullfinches in the top of a tree tucking into its seeds. I forgot to consider what species of tree it was. Being mindful of the slow progress of the photo-year list I was very pleased when a single Lesser Redpoll flew in and perched in another tree.

99. Lesser Redpoll

We continued along the bottom of Bannams Wood without recording anything better than a few Marsh Tits and Long-tailed Tits, and then headed back down the hedge to the pool. At the bridle path the pair of Stonechats showed well, but after that things went distinctly down hill.

A 4 X 4 slithered along the muddy field boundary behind the pool and disappeared over the rise. 120 Lapwings flew over, and then Mallards were scattering. We feared the worst, and sure enough the occupants of the vehicle were rediscovered messing about with decoy ducks behind the nearest flash. A cacophony of Chaffinch and Yellowhammer calls from the hedge up to Church Farm suggested the presence of an owl so we diverted and eventually I had a poor view of a Little Owl as it flew from the other side of the hedge.

Back at the flashes the three lads were still wandering about, and eventually they fired a gun at something. It is the first time I can remember witnessing anyone shooting on a Sunday at Morton Bagot, and it signalled the end of our chances of seeing anything more today.