After seeing a Common Buzzard flying over the woods in the morning, I decided to head out for a short afternoon walk with the hope of adding one to my patch year list. I set off over the Pit Tip hearing and seeing a few Skylark singing their hearts out, and flushed a couple too. I picked up on a Green Woodpecker hiding in the Pit Tip Plantation, then found two together on fence posts at the far side; both showing well in the good light [see right]. Before moving on, two large gulls flew over in the direction of the Mill Lakes, but all I could see were silhouettes.Heading over to the feeders in by Alexandra Lodge gave a brief view of a Sparrowhawk overhead, and at least one Jay could be heard screeching in the background. The Khalsa Wood had lots of activity. Two Nuthatch were seen collecting berries and pushing them into holes in a log on the ground, both showing well, tapping the trees quite loudly and feeding on the ground. The feeders were quite active with Blue Tit, Great Tit and Coal Tit and Chaffinch feeding on the ground. A single Song Thrush was seen feeding under a nearby bush.
I decided to head up to the Lamin's Lane area for the first time. The hedgerows were very active with Robin, Blue Tit and Great Tit, particularly. There were lots of nesting boxes around, which must have been provided by the local farmer. Small boxes are positioned at regular intervals all along one fence, and the field to the east has a couple of larger boxes, probably for owls. I walked up the lane a little way, scanning the fields for any signs of Pheasant, Partridge or Yellowhammer, but with no luck. In the distance a few Lapwing flew up from behind a hill in the field, giving me a long-awaited patch tick.
The Lapwing became the highlight of the day, as the return journey didn't produce much of note: a Kestrel in silhouette flying by the trees behind Woodside Liveries, a single Goldfinch, a Wren, and a Goldcrest in the tree just by my exit. No sign of the Common Buzzard... well, not until I was home, when within an hour one showed well for a few minutes flying over the woods towards the Pit Tip - typical!
I decided to head up to the Lamin's Lane area for the first time. The hedgerows were very active with Robin, Blue Tit and Great Tit, particularly. There were lots of nesting boxes around, which must have been provided by the local farmer. Small boxes are positioned at regular intervals all along one fence, and the field to the east has a couple of larger boxes, probably for owls. I walked up the lane a little way, scanning the fields for any signs of Pheasant, Partridge or Yellowhammer, but with no luck. In the distance a few Lapwing flew up from behind a hill in the field, giving me a long-awaited patch tick.
The Lapwing became the highlight of the day, as the return journey didn't produce much of note: a Kestrel in silhouette flying by the trees behind Woodside Liveries, a single Goldfinch, a Wren, and a Goldcrest in the tree just by my exit. No sign of the Common Buzzard... well, not until I was home, when within an hour one showed well for a few minutes flying over the woods towards the Pit Tip - typical!
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