Friday November 4 - Back to exploring

 Now that November is here I have resumed my project of birding in far-flung and little visited parts of the Circle. Tuesday was very windy and my walk from Blunt's Green to Henley golf course and back was something of a non-event. I took no photographs and saw nothing which came close to being a highlight.

This morning was better. For a start it was sunny with a very light north-westerly breeze. At least I was certain I would take some photos. My route was a walk along Bushwood Lane from the A34 to Copt Green, looping back along even tinier lanes to my starting point.

Kestrel

Although I also saw a Kestrel near Blunt's Green, this morning's bird at Copt Green was much easier to photograph. The oddest sighting was a Kingfisher flying along a hedge, presumably heading to a small brook I later happened upon.

The only woodland on my route was a small patch opposite the entrance to Lapworth Park, but there was nothing to suggest it wasn't private so I contented myself with watching from the road. Several Goldcrests, and Coal Tits kept me entertained, and a Redpoll flew over.

A couple of Linnets were noteworthy near where the Kestrel had been perched. Over 100 Woodpigeons and a few Skylarks flew south during the course of the morning, and I gradually accumulated a list of other fairly common birds.

Long-tailed Tit

Treecreeper

Grey Wagtail

You might think that my tally of just 37 species with nothing very scarce, let alone rare, would be disappointing but that's not how I see it. I love exploring although I see from my Birdtrack records that I have been to both Copt Green and Blunt's Green before, during the BTO Atlas surveys fifteen or so years ago.

Before I sign off, I have some news about the Parakeets seen near Spernal a week or so ago. I'm very glad I didn't submit to the temptation to name them Ring-necked Parakeets because Neil Duggan tells me that some Parakeets seen in the Alcester area are thought to be escaped Alexandrine Parakeets. The males are a lot bigger than Ring-necked Parakeets, and there is a considerable male/female size difference, all of which ties in with the impression I got of the silhouetted birds I saw.