Saturday, November 01, 2008

Turdus!

Due to previous commitments, coupled with the pure dread of having to stand with a load of prattling t**** talking s**** whilst waiting for a Red-flanked Bluetail, I resisted the temptation to join the undoubted throngs that would have been present at Weybourne's Muckleborough Hill. Instead I walked the dog up the Church track where it soon became evident that Thrushes (linean family name, Turdus) were arriving in numbers with at least 50 Blackbirds noted and 200 Redwing with much smaller numbers of Mistle Thrush and Fieldfare. The Yew trees, laiden with berries in the church yard seemed to be the place of choice, the birds dropping into the heart of these trees and out of sight. Try as I might I couldn't pick up a Ring Ouzel or jam in on any Siberian warblers!

Redwing


Mistle Thrush


Blackbird...incoming!


Redwing... showing why its called a Redwing!


At lunch time the dog had to go to the pooch parlour, and on my return, as I drove down the road I noticed and distinctive little shape sitting on the chimney stack, and sure enough there was a Black Redstart, the second garden record and like the first, it soon disappeared.

Black Redstart






A late afternoon jaunt down to West Runton, and it was blowing a hooley from the north-east. Off shore there was a constant flow of Kiitiwakes and Gannets heading east a handful of Brent Geese heading west and a single Bonxie.

1 comment:

The Quacks of Life said...

don't blame you. they wouldn't have smiled if they'd seen it