October has started wet'n'windy, sign of things to come? That said, there have been some beautiful sunny days in between and I've managed to get up here on a couple so far.
October 1st
On my first visit I realised that there's an all-you-can-eat-buffet tree that some birds seem to be loving.
There were a few Song Thrushes in there when I first arrived but I saw some leaving asap.
Grab n go meal for that bird.
There wasn't a great deal to see actually, pretty chilly and breezy but a good day for a walk. Through the first gate and I started seeing a few Meadow Pipits.
I hadn't seen many of them earlier in the year so I thought numbers were down but I'm seeing a good few now.
A gaggle of Canada geese caught my eye way over on the far bank, I keep telling myself to walk over that side but never do.
Along with a Grey Heron and Cormorant, both regulars up here.
Not a lot else going on although I did stand and have a good scout all around the horizon so, off back down the track.
Threatening clouds over the other side.
A young female Chaffinch dropped onto the bin lid at the picnic bench and check out the food left there, that was it.
But as I turned to carry on walking, I noticed a bird in the big Leylandii by the table. I fired off a few shots just before they both flew away.
A pair of Stonechats, a nice bonus and really unexpected in this area, I usually see them up between the gates.
Back down the track and a Buzzard caused me a bit of excitement for a few moments, looking really big as it soared over the hillside.
Seen on their own they can look really big, put them anywhere near an Eagle and their true size shows, not that they're a small bird.
I really didn't see much else apart from the usual Cormorant on the tower.
And that was it for that walk.
I was back up on the 9th October, which turned out to be a freezing cold, very windy walk but one with a couple of nice opportunities once again.
Once again, there wasn't a great deal going on so I ended up getting a good fast walk up to the picnic bench, in fact it wasn't until I was approaching the first gate that I saw anything worth mentioning.
A Buzzard almost directly overhead and hovering, watching something below. Despite the wing shape in these shots, it really was just hovering, it was blowing a gale up here.
I did see quite a few Meadow Pipits between the gates and a small flock of Canada geese but that was it.
I'd dropped off some food on the bin lid, see if anything dropped by on my return walk.
The Coal Tits had seen it and were filling up so I sat at the bench and had a snack, watching them for a while, it wasn't quite as windy in the shelter of the trees here.
Before setting off again towards the car park. About half way up the long straight, I spotted a bird walking / running along the side. The sun was in my face so I grabbed several shots as I walked so I could ID it later.
It was a wee Red-legged Partridge, I don't remember seeing them up here before.
Poor wee soul must have walked and run half a mile as I carried on, before realising it could just jump into the long grasses at the side, bless it.
And so I was back at the all-you-can-eat-buffet tree and hoping to see something this time.
Berry laden Rowan
A couple of Song Thrushes flew off as I arrived, again.
A sole Blackbird stayed around for a while and as I watched it, I noticed more movement in the tree.
Now, those branches were whipping around all over the place so I am really pleased that I got any shots of the young Bullfinch at all and the dappled light made for some nice shots too.
Now, if you look really closely at that last shot, you might notice another young female Bullfinch behind that one.
Behind and right....
Somehow I managed to focus on the other bird, deeper in the tree.
I guess it's down to these modern cameras that I managed the last two shots, very happy with them.
And that's October so far, I'll add any more visits as they happen.
