South Sawbridgeworth Patch Roundup

Some highlights from my patch (Pishiobury Park east to the railway line, south of Sawbridgeworth as far as Feakes Lock) from Oct to early November.

Little Egret 2 on 30th Oct
Buzzard max 4 on 1st
Little Owl seen occasionally.
Red Kite 2 on 4th October
Hobby last sighting on 9th Oct
Great Black Backed Gull 1 through on 28th
Magpie 22 in a field by Nursery Wood pre-roos 31st October
Ring-Necked Parakeet 6 seen in the Park Osier beds on the morning of 5th November
House Martin100+ N on 1st October
Swallow last was 4 s over the park on 14th Oct
Redwing 1st on 22nd Oct. 14 W on 30th Oct
Fieldfare 32W on 30th Oct
Starling 42W on 30th Oct
Stonechat female on 28th
Pied Wagtail 1 sous on 31st October was the first of the year
Hawfinch 2 seen in flight with a small finch flock on 28th
Lesser Redpoll 2 by Feakes Lock on 28th
Siskin 2 over on 9th Oct

patch list currently at 91 for the year.

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".

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.

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.