The snow was stained with discarded berries, and they will make an excellent feast for any passing Waxwings (if the record number of birds, 170+, ever leave B&Q in Folkestone).
A few birds were eagerly pecking at this bumper crop; Blackbirds, Song Thrushes, a single Redwing and 5x Bullfinches. I checked all the Alders and Silver Birches for a Siskin or Redpoll and was successful in locating 3x Lesser Redpolls feeding with 10+ Goldfinches in one Alder. They were joined by a volery of Long-Tailed Tits and a single Goldcrest. A smart male Kestrel made a couple of sorties across the snow-covered scrub area and was mobbed by a Jay of all things at one point. As it made it's second low pass a Meadow Pipit flew up to the top of a nearby tree and continually called - my first for this site and totally unexpected location to find one!
Walking back through one of the orchards on the East Malling Research land I was surprised at how the Fieldfare numbers had increased in the last 24 hours - 100+ in this single orchard.
They were joined by masses of Wood Pigeons and Starlings.
2 comments:
Adam ,
I'm sure I recognise that Fieldfare !
Roll on the food running out at Folkestone , then we can all hopefully see the Waxwings in number .
I'll email you beforehand if I do another trespass 'on your land' .
Well done with the Mipit Adam. Looks a good place for some of those Waxwings to drop in - I hope they come tome first though!
Post a Comment