29th Oct 2023: Osprey, Barnacle Goose and Cattle Egret

A very good week for the patch and quality autumn birding with three new birds for the year and some other good patch birds.

On Monday Clive had a (fairly) late Osprey go over south and Edwin found a Dunlin on Tuesday.

Wednesday morning I had 2 Brambling over and 4 Lesser Redpoll, 5 Great Crested Grebes (a good count for here) and 38 Greylag Geese. A little later in the morning Clive had a Barnacle Goose (second patch record) fly over and 12 Siskins. He then relocated the goose at the Borrow Pit pool. The goose may not be a genuine wild bird but a great patch bird anyway.

Saturday morning the Barnacle Goose was on the reservoir with 58 Greylag and c.250 Canada Geese. A Cattle Egret (second patch record) came in and briefly landed in the cattle field before heading north. It was later relocated near Chacombe by John. 

This morning John had the Barnacle Goose again and 102 Greylags. Later on Clive had a Peregrine over towards town and there was Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Lesser Redpoll and Siskins around the reservoir. The goose was also seen again later at the Borrow Pit pool.

Goose photos courtesy and copyright of JFT

22nd Oct 2023: Merlin and Brambling

A good week for the patch with a couple of new birds for the year list. 

On Wednesday I had a Merlin (second patch record) fly over west fairly high. Quite a surprise on a morning with some but not a lot of birds moving. A Snipe also flushed up from the cattle field by the farmer and 6 Siskin, some Redwings and c.40 Greylag Geese. 

Yesterday morning John had Brambling over along with 7 Fieldfare, 11 Redwing and 4 Siskin. 

This morning there was a couple of Lesser Redpoll, several Siskin, a Little Egret over south and 5 Raven over north.

15th Oct 2023

Yesterday there was a Stonechat and a fairly late Swallow at the reservoir. Also several Siskins and Skylarks over, as well as Meadow Pipits with some grounded too. A couple of Chiffchaffs were vocal on the western side. A Greylag Goose and at least one hybrid has been in amongst the Canada Goose flock. 

1st Oct 2023

Jonathan Bowley was out on Tuesday, at the reservoir and into the valley, and had 3 Little Grebe, 5 Cormorant, 2 Heron, 37 Mallard, 16 Tufted Ducks, 4 Coot, 1 Snipe over, 3 Common Sandpipers, 3 House Martins, 4 Grey Wagtail, 2 Blackcap, 9 chiffchaff, 3 Siskin and 1 Reed Bunting.

Today John had 2 Gadwall, 3 Common Sandpipers and 6 Siskin. Adrian T counted 280 Canada Geese.