Sunday November 17 - Morton Bagot

It's starting to feel a lot like winter. Not so much the weather, more the birds. Nevertheless today proved you can still have an excellent day's birding locally.

It was a largely sunny morning and I was joined by Dave for a stroll around the patch. We had no real expectations of the day, and were quite pleased when we spotted an immature Peregrine  on one of the pylons.

We had reached the area favoured by the ringers and could see that they had erected lots of well-stocked feeders. There was no sign of any actual ringers though, and this was a pity because we flushed two Hawfinches from a hedge right next to one of the feeders. The birds then perched above the small pool and we realised what they were. They disappeared again, but not for long. We found them in a birch a few metres beyond. Close enough for some photos.

The male Hawfinch

The other Hawfinch (thought to be female)

It seems very likely that these were the two birds we saw in flight last weekend. After a few minutes they flew off and after a brief search we resumed our circuit.

An alarmed Blackbird led us to a roosting Tawny Owl, once again the same bird as the one several days ago.

The remainder of the morning brought a steady procession of the regulars, the best being three Yellowhammers flying over, a pair of Red Kites, and two Stonechats.

We eventually accumulated 52 species, which was definitely above par.

Earlier in the week I had paid a visit to Earlswood Lakes, concentrating particularly on Windmill Pool and the scrublands beyond. The latter area produced a calling Water Rail which was an Earlswood tick, and fifty Siskins.

A brief look at Engine Pool proved worthwhile when I noticed a colour-ringed Black-headed Gull among the 170 or so gulls present.

I've submitted the details to the BTO Euring project, and have not yet received news of where it was ringed. However Matt G thinks he may have seen the same gull and believes it was ringed abroad. It could be a while before I find out its origin.

PS: Many thanks to Mike Wakeman for his help with the ring. The bird was ringed in Poland. Further details will follow in due course.