The surpise of Autumn is that it has taken so long to get started and only in the last week or so has teh temprature got down to seasonal norms. Stormy weather in October has blown in some extraordinary birds mostly onto the island groups North and South of the mainland. Storms provided me with one new bird for the patch list - a Ring Ouzel over two days in late October. Glory be I got a photo or two and a video
The latter being caught with less than impeccable camera positioningby our Trail Cam. It brought the patch list up to 92 species.
More impressive and winterish have been flocks of redwing over the house especially in the stormy weather of in early October - Southerlies blew them through torrential rains. Fewer Fieldfares so far this winter and scary any photo opportunities for either.
A brief sighting in a packed hide at Blacktoft on 23 September got me the life tick for Spotted Crake which had alluded me for 5 years in Dorset. A handsome bird I thought and it stood very conveniently next to a juv. Water Rail so there was no mistaking the interloper.
Whooper Swan are always a welcome sight and three on the quarry on Slains Lane near Mission was a treat.
Back at base in Misterton the weather has been mild and through finches, buntings and tits are about they are not there in numbers. The first sighting of a Goldcrest in the garden spruce was late October, about the same time I saw one feasting on flies around the pine trees in the sanctuary.
A party of Brent Geese spied from the train one morning as we passed West out of Benfleet in Essex helped my bird list for the year to 191 - hoping November will capture the remaining 9 needed for my year of part-time birding.
