Thursday 17th November 2011

My first visit out in a while.  The sun made a brief appearance picking out the apples in the East Malling orchards that will provide winter sustenance to the winter migrants.  The crab apples were particularly vivid.

All seemed quite on the bird front: a Kestrel was mobbed by a crow near the Conference Centre, and a Great Spotted Woodpecker pecked voraciously on the line-side trees, but soon a flock of Fieldfares was put up, 100 or so, with a 70+ Linnets and 35+ Goldfinches soon leapfrogging up, and ahead of them.  These were followed by Chaffinches, a couple of Yellowhammers and a smattering of Meadow Pipits and Skylark, quite a mix.

Linnets

good number of the birds alighted onto wires above the orchard, allow me to creep closer for some snaps in really poor light.