2000 Woodpigeons.

There's always something to see on the Patch, even when there's nothing to see. Today it was a sky filled with Wood Pigeons. I didn't see what put them up. There was some shooting in the area, so may have been that.

Counting was hard, but by the old technique of counting ten in singles, counting a hundred in tens, then counting hundreds, I got to 2000.

Here's a couple of pictures. I think the first has 800 in - this wasn't the only flock in the air - and the next shows some of the birds in the trees.

Flock of about 800 Wood Pigeons

Wood Pigeons in tree tops behind Pishiobury House

Other birds seen included several Yellowhammers, a few Meadow Pipits, a Reed Bunting, and a couple of Little Grebes on the river below Feakes Lock.

Bishops Stortford garden

Tuesday 27 December 2016

Male Blackcap in garden in bushes and then
on bird bath

Pincey Brook Marsh, Hatfield Broad Oak, 27 Dec

a crisp morning walk.

selected list:
Wigeon 1 female a first for me at this site.
Teal c40
Little Egret 2
Common Gull c20
Lapwing 18 flew over high NE
Grey Wagtail 1
Kingfisher 1
Snipe 1
Fieldfare 2
Reed Bunting 1
Goldfinch 5
Buzzard 2

Sawbridgeworth to the old airfield Christmas Eve walk

Turned left out of my drive instead of the usual right. Followed Soutbrook up to the west of Sawbo, then up between the rivers Orchard and West Road, across to West road and back down to Tharbies - some really good trees and hedges here - through toward the high ground then up the very minor road/track that cuts across to the north end of Allen's Green. Right into the huge field, up to the piles of grain in the field, across to Shingle Hall Farm (SHF), down the road to Tharbies again but east into the north of Sawbridgeworth and then home.

Highlights were:
Golden Plover - 44 in the usual field south of SHF with c140 Lapwing.
Fieldfare - 2 flocks, 1 of c110 at Tharbies and one of 78 at SHF. Conceivably these may have been the same birds.
Blackbird. Odd ones and twos, eventually totalling 35 for the whole walk
Collared Dove 46 and Yellowhammer c50 at the grain piles.

Otherwise Kestrel 4, Buzzard 3, Meadow Pipit 16 at SHF, Song Thrush 6, Bullfinch 1m at Tharbies, Great-Spotted Woodpecker 1 called at Tharbies, Skylark 6 by the grain piles.

Also a distant smallish deer at Mathams Wood. Quite dark brown. No idea what species.

Stort - Sawbo to Old Harlow 22nd Dec

A walk to Pishiobury Prk to photograph some of the birds there turned into a walk down to the bridge at Old Harlow then back the other side.

Highlight was a pair of Stonechats behind Rowneybury. They flew over the river then back again, so were notable local records for both Essex and Herts. Otherwise:
Grey Wagtail by the brook on Southbrook
Green Woodpecker on the horse meadow
Meadow Pipit by the railway line
House Sparrow - 2 in the Park and a small group in the impenetrable forest.
Buzzard - 1 over Pishiobury House.
Little Grebe - 1 at Old Harlow

I've started the review of the year with some maps which show where some of the features referred to above on my blog. Rowneybury is just south west of Pishiobury House.

juvenile Mute Swan and Teal on the pond.

Hatfield Forest Sunday AM walk

Bright sunny and mild 8.45am - 10.45am
Some of the birds seen  :-
 
Robin
Great tit 
Blue tit
Coal Tit  1
Bullfinch  1m
Chaffinch
Little Owl  1
Gadwall  2m 2fm
Cormorants  5
Moorhen  5
Tawny Owl  1  (sitting in tree)
Redwing  (large numbers flying from every berry bush)
Fieldfare  75+
Magpie  3
Jay  1
Green Woodpecker  1
Sparrowhawk  1

Hatfield Forest 7/12/16

A quick visit to Hatfield Forest

Jay  2
Magpie  3
Redwing  (to many to count but at least 200)
Jackdaws
Tawny Owl  (sitting in split ash tree) see photo

Sawbo Patch Blackbirds

A quick walk round the patch this morning to clear the head after a night out. About 15-20 Blackbirds around the hawthorns by the Stort the most noticeable feature this morning with similar number of Redwings, well above the usual handful of skulking birds on the patch. Otherwise a Cetti's Warbler from the reeds round the pond, a Green Woodpecker, and a Sparrowhawk over

Patch Barn Owl

A scarce opportunity to walk the patch at dusk. Down the Stort to Old Harlow Meads (opposite the back of Pishiobury House) where Barn Owl is practically nailed on. 10 Linnets in the Impenetrable Forest and a Kestrel on the way down. Then standing by the bridge at the N corner a female Sparrowhawk swooped low into the wood, and a Kingfisher belted across the meads. A couple of Meadow Pipits came over, but no Barn Owl. I turned back at 4:15.

Lots of Redwings dropping into roost and a few Blackbirds too. about 200 Jackdaw in a tree disturbed by a Common Buzzard, then cutting across from the three bridges area to the NE corner of Pishiobury Park a Barn Owl came flying across and took up residence in a willow for a couple of minutes. It set out across the boggy field and did that smart turn-and-dive, and wasn't seen again. finally on the year list for the patch-proper, not just on the patch "extension".

Lapwing in there hundreds

Cycling between Trims green and Tharbies farm saw c300 Lapwing , c60 Fieldfare, Meadow Pipit and Kestrel.

Kingfisher at the pub!

Kingfisher in brook along Spellbrook lane east infront of pub.

Golden Plover back at Trim's Green

a flock of c380 Golden Plover at Trim's Green. In the big field south of the Air Memorial (i.e. two fields south). also c200 Lapwing, c200 Starling, and a Common Buzzard.

For some reason my post of 3 Lesser Redpoll in Pishiobury Park on 22nd didn't get posted so here it is again. My first record of this species in the Park, in the hawthorn clump at the south end of the central hedge row in the dip where it meets the E-W hedge row.

03/11/16 Lapwings A120

4.20pm
100 plus Lapwing   in field between Howe Fencing and Standon north of the A120
 1  Buzzard   also sitting in field.

Stortford Waxwing

still present on Crozier Ave/Burghley Ave. Mobile, flycatching from the top of birch trees.

Stortford Waxwings!

one at Crozier Avenue, just past the roundabout where a left turn will take you into the Tesco's petrol station.

Also a report of 2 on Burghley Avenue which is the road Crozier avenue comes off.

Garden Watch 28 October 2016

A good day for birds in the garden

Goldfinch  3
Blue Tit  5
Coal Tit  2
Great Tit  2
Goldcrest  1
Dunnock  1
Chaffinch f/m  1
House Sparrow  4
Starling  14
Great Spotted Woodpecker  1 (see photo )
Ferral Pigeon  4
Wood Pigeon  2
Collared Dove  11
Blackbird  2m 2f/m
Robin  2

Sawbo patch October 24

usual walk: Springhall Lane -> river -> Feakes Lock -> Railway line -> river -> Pishiobury park -> home

selected highlights:
Stonechat 1f. (on 22nd there was a pair) 89th bird for the patch this year.
Snipe 1 - 90th for the patch this year.
Kingfisher 1
Common Gull 2 over
Magpie 12
Meadow Pipit 1
Yellowhammer 5
Redwing c20
Green and Great-Spotted Woodpecker.

Sawbo patch update

short walk today down to Feakes Lock, up to the railway line, then back along the NE edge of the park.

Kingfisher 1
Little Grebe 1
Red Kite 1 over Sir Rod's place.
Buzzard 4
Bullfinch 2
GSW 1
Goldcrest 1
Long-tailed tit 1 flock

And now for the all-important Accentor count:
Hedge - about 5
Radde's 0
Alpine 0
Siberian 0

Driving off to a meeting in Hertford on Tuesday 4th October. Red Kite low over the A120 just past the Birchanger roundabout. Beautiful crisp plumage - a youngster? Then 7 Buzzard over the A10 between Standon and Ware (a group of 4 and a group of 3). Finally a cracking male Kestrel hovering over the road on the way back. A good raptor day!

Hatfield Forest Sunday 2 Oct 2016 AM

Coal Tit 1
Great Tits
Blue Tits
Robin
Jackdaw(to many to count)
Black-headed Gull 10
Coot 2
Moorhen 1
Jay 1
Magpies
The high light of the morning :-
Common Redstart 1 Male

Trim's Green 2nd october

highlight was 2 Peregrine Falcon in the main field. One spent half an hour dismantling a freshly killed Wood Pigeon before flying to a nearby pylon.

Other birds:
Swallow 18 N
Buzzard 1
Kestrel 1m
Yellowhammer 1 over
Skylark
Linnet

Sawbridgeworth Patch

usual walk, 7:30-9 am. From Springhill Lane to the NE corner of the park, down to the river, Feakes Lock, up toward the railway line, along to the public footpath, back down to the bridge, then up to the  park again from the three bridges area.

Nothing remarkable but some record patch numbers.

Mute Swan. 8! 2 ad + 3 cygnets on the river then 3 ad of N.
Mallard 5
Moorhen 5
Sparrowhawk 1
Green woodpecker 1
Great Spotted Woodpecker 2
Nuthatch 1
Jay 2
Magpie 5
Jackdaw NC
Crow NC
Woodpigeon NC
Robin 14
Dunnock 25! patch record.
Wren 13
Blackbird 2
Song Thrush 1 over
Great tit 12
Blue tit 7
Long Tailed tit 11
Chiffchaff 8, with two singing
Blackcap 1 male
Grey Wagtail 1
Meadow Pipit 4 plus 10 over S
Swallow 5 S
House Martin 10
Reed Bunting 2f
Yellowhammer 1
Goldfinch 12
Chaffinch 7
Bullfinch 2 heard.

Red Admiral 1

Stortford Icebow

A couple of photos taken by Mike Ashworth:

"They were taken this afternoon from our patio.

This is some sort of 'icebow', an arc of refracted light produced by ice crystals in cirrus cloud.

Definitely an arc and not a halo. Wikipedia lists several types.

Coal Tits back in garden 1st September 2016

The Coal Tits are back in the garden having been missing
for most of the summer.

Hatfield Broad Oak 31 August

Pincey Brook quite full - no exposed mud for waders.

Greylag Goose 72
Canada Goose c30
Shoveler 1

Teal, Mallard, Moorhen, Grey Heron 2

BH Gull c100
LBBG 2 juvs
Common Gull 3

Kingfisher 1
Jay 2
Buzzard 3

Hatfield Forest Sunday 28 August 2016

Bright & Sunny 8.30am - 10.30am

Jackdaws  (not counted)
Blue Tits              a large gathering of tits
Gt Tits                 in hawthorn/elder bush
Long-tailed Tits  after insects and berries
Nuthatch 1               also in
Blackcap f/m 1        same bush
Robin 1
Willow/Chiffs  (quite a number)
Mallards
Swallow c6
Grey Herron 1
Goldfinch 20+
Bullfinch 1m
Marsh Tit 2
Whitethroat

Bishops Stortford garden (off Thorley Hill)

Saturday 27 August 2016
Coal Tit 1
Blue Tit 3
Dunnock 1
Starlings 6
Chaffinch 1
Magpie 2
House Sparrow 5
Long-tailed Tit ( 16 passing through at 7pm )

Spot Fly at Pishiobury Park

Spotted Flycatcher in the long hedgerow in the dip in the park. Also a few Willow Chiffs keeping it company.

Trims Green 19th

brief stop on way to Stortford. Overcast.

Swift 1
Swallow 6
LBBG c30, Herring Gull c20, Common Gull c10, BHG c50

Sawbridgeworth patch walk 15th August

very quiet today. A Nuthatch in Nursery Wood in the NE corner of Pishiobury Park, and 4 Chiff Chaffs along the river (brown, not a particularly prominent eye-stripe, so I'm guessing ChiffChaff).

Hatfield Forest Sunday 14/8/2016 8.30am to 10.30am

Warm & dry quite a few sightings for time of year.

Blackbirds
Jackdaw (to many to count)
Robin ( at least 5 including juveniles )
Mallards
Canada Geese
Mute Swan 1
Kingfisher 1
Spotted Flycatcher ( 2 adult + pos 2 young )
Chiffchaff
Bullfinch 2m 2fm
Goldfinch 4 ( on thistles )
Magpie 2
Greenfinch 1
Whitethroat 2
Gt Tits
Wren 1
Green Woodpecker 1

Nice to see Flycatchers & Greenfinch.

Rather restricted at the moment, as the arthritic knee is giving me gyp. However, spent some time in the ANBR today, but it was very quiet. Apart from a bit of a jackdaw-fest, with some 25-30 flying over, I only noted a couple of wrens, some house sparrows, chaffinches, magpie and the inevitable wood pigeons. Insect-wise I saw gatekeeper, meadow brown, speckled wood and large white.

Another Red Kite

Red Kite just to the north of Sawbridgeworth on Wednesday afternoon (courtesy of my wife!). 

South Sawbridgeworth patch count Mon 8th

inspired by Graeme Smith's Redstart at Stortford Park yesterday I did my patch today. Hard work in the afternoon, with birds keeping to the middle of bushes.

Patch is the bounded by the allotments on Southbrook at the north, Pishiobury Park at the west, Feakes Lock to the south and the railway line to the north. Occasionally I wander outside these bounds and today I went east up across the railway line and up toward Sheering.

Moorhen 3
Pheasant 1m
Lesser Black-Backed Gull c10
Black Headed Gull 1
Sparrowhawk 2 including 1 recently fledged juvenile
Buzzard 2
Green Woodpecker 2
Magpie 9
Crow c30 in one flock, + others
Jackdaw NC
Jay 1h
Collared Dove 3
Wood Pigeon NC
Stock Dove 2,
Blue tit 1
Great tit 1
long-tailed tit flock h
Wren 1
Willow-chiff 2(h)
Whitethroat 11
Goldfinch c60
Chaffinch 1h
Linnet 2
Bullfinch 2
Yellowhammer 2
Swallow 1
House Martin c20
Robin 2

Red Admiral 2, Comma 2, Whites NC, Gatekeeper 20+, Ringlet 2, Speckled Wood 2, Banded Demoiselle, Brown Hawker.

h = heard only. NC = present but not counted.

Red Kite becoming more common over Elsenham now. It's not often a week goes past without there being one or more in the sky. A pair of Common Buzzard is also regular in and around the Aubrey Buxton Nature Reserve, suggesting nesting in the area, but no signs of breeding. A lovely family group of Green Woodpecker (2 adults and 3 juveniles) was another recent highlight in the ABNR.

Sawbridgeworth Gull Flock

a large flock of gulls was present in freshly ploughed fields just north of Sawbridgeworth opposite the cemetery on 31st July.

Mediterranean Gull - 1 immature
Yellow Legged Gull - at least 2 adults seen
Black-headed Gull - hundreds
Lesser Black Backed Gull - several tens.
Herring Gull - tens
Common gull c10