It was chilly at 6.00am to the point that the windshield was frozen over. So we drove on site, not knowing how the birds would be using the site and wondering whether many small finches were yet at the park. It was wet under foot and quite cold but the first double went up quickly and with the aid of some audio players we were soon catching Goldcrests. Being an inland site, it was bizarre that the first of the little birds seemed to be dropping in from above, rather than working along the trees lining the stream. We put up another double and a single 30ft net crossing the stream.
As the morning went on it became increasingly mistly. The cold weather seemed to be keeping a lot of dog walkers away, but the birds kept coming and kept us ticking over until 11am or so.
A low point was the loss of our breakfast rolls to a rotund black labrador, that should have been on a lead in the area grazed by cattle - not the dog's fault, just the poorly behaved owner's.
Top species of the day was Goldcrest with Lesser Redpoll rolling in a distant second.
Totals: 57 (1)
Great Spotted Woodpecker - 1
Robin - 1
Goldcrest - 41 (1)
Blue Tit -2
Great Tit - 2
Lesser Redpoll - 10
Siskin - 1
As the morning went on it became increasingly mistly. The cold weather seemed to be keeping a lot of dog walkers away, but the birds kept coming and kept us ticking over until 11am or so.
A low point was the loss of our breakfast rolls to a rotund black labrador, that should have been on a lead in the area grazed by cattle - not the dog's fault, just the poorly behaved owner's.
Top species of the day was Goldcrest with Lesser Redpoll rolling in a distant second.
Goldcrest - one of 42 captures.
Our first Siskin of the autumn, adult female.
Lesser Redpoll.
Totals: 57 (1)
Great Spotted Woodpecker - 1
Robin - 1
Goldcrest - 41 (1)
Blue Tit -2
Great Tit - 2
Lesser Redpoll - 10
Siskin - 1