Local Patch Delivers Again

 An excellent morning! You can't beat a walk around your local patch on days like this.

The weather was dry and bright for a change so that was a wonderful start to the day, add to that a list of highlights like this along with the usual suspects:

Slavonian Grebe (thanks Jon)

Long-tailed Duck

2 Lesser Redpoll (we don't get them here y'know)

3 Brambling

Stonechat

Probable 2 Cattle Egret

11 Whooper Swans

Chiff Chaff

Woodcock (well OK that was this afternoon but it counts 😂) 

Lesser Redpoll

2 Lesser Redpoll in set aside

As above but what a difference a few seconds makes

4 Whoopers over the Mere

2 Tree Sparrows in set aside (pretty scarce these days)

Sparrowhawk cleared out birds from set aside

One of 3 Brambling

2 of 3 Common Buzzard

Greenfinch on sunflower in set aside

Male Marsh Harrier

Common Buzzard from camera

Common Buzzard as above but cropped

NO!! Not that time of year yet!!!

I'll See You On The Dark Bottom Of The Moon

 A soggy walk around Rolston was my lot this morning, so wellies were worn as the ground is thoroughly saturated. The wind was pretty slight at about 15 mph from the south west. Just to make sure the ground wasn't drying out, it rained a bit too.

I got to the place where the willow biomass grows and heard a familiar call - Waxwings, 2 of them, flew out of the hawthorn hedge and disappeared quickly over the willows.

The morning was filled with Blackbird, Fieldfare and Redwing calls, interrupted by Whooper Swans and Pink-footed Geese.

One of about 110 Pink-footed geese

Redwing

Fieldfare and Redwing

Redwing

Lots of Blackbirds with the Fieldfare and Redwings

Some Whooper Swans landed in a field but left soon after

9 Whooper Swans flying off west

Along the woodland edge I put up 2 Woodcock - the first of the winter for me. No photos as they were off very quickly as is their wont, but frustratingly I put up one on the cliffs later and it gave very good views indeed - unfortunately my camera battery had died by then!!

Since the last post on this blog, a few photos may be of interest:

13 Sanderlings on the beach

Rock Pipit on the beach - another first of the winter

Saturday - partial eclipse of the Moon (Dark Bottom Of The Moon)

3 Stonechats on south cliffs - here's one

Here's the same one

Autumnal Days

 Lots of European Shags have been reported down the East coast this week. I've seen a few off Hornsea and another 4 went by this morning.

Four European Shags going south off Hornsea

I saw my first Sanderlings of the Autumn this morning on the beach, unfortunately being chased off by dogs which happens far too often for my liking.

Inland there were three Roe Deer in the set aside but not many birds for a change.

Roe Deer

Up on north cliffs Meadow Pipits continue to arrive/fly through.

Meadow Pipits on north cliffs

Also a daily occurence and a wonderful sight and sound are loads of Pink-footed Geese making their way to their feeding grounds each morning.

Pink-footed Geese going north in the morning

Last Week

 Last week has been changeable to say the least, from brilliant sunshine to storm clouds and downpours and back to sunny again.

MONDAY 16 OCT cold start (2 degrees) frosty and sunny

A walk along the south side of the Mere to Wassand wood and a quick visit to the hide.

Smoke On The Water (early morning mist really)

4 of at least 12 Bearded Tits along the north side

They came past the hide eventually

Brambling and Chaffinch near set aside

A couple of Greenfinch on the sunflowers

Part of the c.100 strong Linnet flock

TUE 17 OCT rain, mild

A stroll up to north cliffs hoping for a few migrants to be blown in. A few mipits and Skylarks seen but the highlight was 2 Shags flying in and landing on the sea just offshore.

Bright start but rain soon came in

Here comes the rain 😀

Shags just offshore from north cliffs

Flock of 290 Linnet on the fields

Pied Wagtail on one side of the TV arial...

Tree Sparrow on the other side

WED 18 OCT  Dry, windy (Easterlies) cool

South side of the Mere again with not much showing. 8 Redwing, 10 Fieldfare and about 50 Linnets in the set aside.

Syrphus sp. hoverfly

Flax still in flower in set aside field

Wild radish seed pods waiting to be eaten

THU 19 OCT  Overcast, warm, dry with the wind building as Storm Babet makes its presence felt.

Sea front, KP and south side in the morning. 8 Fieldfare, Curlew over going West, lots of birds in the set aside including a Brambling again.

Waves crashing in on the sea front

Goldeneye taking off near KP

I walked on south cliffs in the afternoon looking for migrants - specifically Shore Larks - but none found. A Wheatear was a good find though.

Wheatear on south cliffs

FRI 20 OCT  40 mph Easterly gales and lashing rain as Storm Babet arrives. I went out early on but didn't take the camera for obvious reasons.

SAT 21 OCT  Calm, mild, quite sunny in the gentle Westerly wind

I walked on the sea front, along south cliffs and then over to the south side. Plenty of evidence that Babet had done quite a bit of damage to property and to trees.

One of the groyne "baskets" got knocked out of shape

High tide but waves back to normal

One of at least 8 Greenfinch

8 Greenfinch in the set aside

Large part of tree gone