Patch Quality

Spent the whole day in Holmpton...and it paid off...eventually!

 

Started to the south as I was hoping the White-fronted Geese reported on Bauk Hill were still present...well, 16 were...I could just see them through the mist and heavy drizzle...

 

 

I left them be and made my way down to Old Hive. Thrushes were raining in (pardon the pun). This was the start of an amazing migration spectacle. The best I have ever seen. The path to Old Hive was littered with Blackbirds and Redwings...

 

 

A lone Fieldfare came in-off-the-sea and landed some 30 yards away. It stayed motionless in the stubble, obviously exhausted from the crossing. Great to see it had made it...

 

 

...I left it be.

 

I was hoping for better things in the Sycamores. It was immediately apparent that the trees were alive...with Goldcrests. Try as I might I couldn't turn one into something else. There were hundreds!

Then Bramblings! Lots of them. Hard to be precise but there were at least 50, which is the highest number I have personally found...

 

 

On my return to the car the Geese had moved much closer but seemed unconcerned by our presence...

 

Adult and two juveniles

After lunch I did the Village loop. Redwings were still streaming in, it was amazing. Definitely four figures!! A truly amazing spectacle. They were everywhere, swirling over the trees, disappearing quickly into the vegetation. I managed to catch this one...

 

 

I bumped into a chap who told me he'd seen a Ring Ouzel. Encouraging. I made my way down School lane to the sea. A bird flew up out of the field and perched briefly in a bush...a male Ring Ouzel!

 

Then to finish the day off very well, a bird popped up off the deck and perched briefly in one of my lone sycamores. Twite...a Village Lifer! It was pretty dark by now but I miraculously (for me) managed to react quick enough to fire off a few shots. Not great but passable...

 

 

An excellent day!