A cold morning with a sheen of frost on the roofs of cars in our close. Classic conditions for a movement of Woodpigeons, but I failed to take the opportunity until it was too late. Rather more switched on were Jim W from his garden in Hollywood, counting about 2500 from 06:45 and 07:45, and Matt G at Earlswood who tallied 4740 from 06:50 and 08:50.
By the time I finally got to Morton Bagot, at 08:45, the spectacle was much reduced. Even so Dave and I counted 463 until 11:30. The ringers who were obviously not vizmigging, reported numerous flocks heading over before we started.
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| Some of the few migrating Woodpigeons we did manage to see |
They have been making their own impact by capturing loads of Redpolls. It's been an excellent autumn for them. Over the the last few weeks they had caught 378 without a single retrap, which means there has been a flow of new birds through the site.
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| Rosie holding a juvenile Redpoll |
This morning we guessed at 50+ Redpolls and a similar number of Goldfinches on site, and the ringers were adding to their tally.
On the whole it was just a case of more of the same today. About 80 Fieldfares with Redwings in trees along the Morton Brook, two Red Kites and an immature Peregrine regularly appearing, 53 Teal, four Lapwings and a Snipe mainly in the flash field, a Chiffchaff, and a Marsh Tit.
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| The Peregrine eventually settled on a pylon |
Just outside my Circle, Andy G was photographing several of the 10 to 20 Crossbills in Hay Wood. Perhaps I need to check out some of the coniferous woods closer to home.
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