Fri 30th Oct - Afternoon - Fieldfare

Meadow Pipit - Manor Farm - 30/10/09
14:00 > 16:00
Sunny periods, broken cloud, southerly breeze at times, otherwise calm. 15C

First visit in three weeks due to holidays and illness.
Water levels highest yet. Good complex developing in The Dip of pools, channels and scrapes, but will anything be tempted in?

At least three Green Sandpipers on site, all flighty. Only other waders a small group of thirty or so Lapwing which headed west early on. An assortment of gulls in the dip numbering around 100. Mostly, as always, Black Headed Gulls but Common Gull numbers are increasing with around a dozen or so present. Only other species noted were two Lesser Black Backed Gull and a single Herring Gull.

Two Little Egrets, at the usual pool, were sighted.

Quiet along the river but a single Kingfisher foraged along the pebble beach area banking. A winter first returnee in a single Fieldfare, mobbed by Jackdaws for its efforts, whilst Redwing numbers start to increase with around forty on the main slope and in the hedgerow to the south of it.

And as the sun started to disappear a single rather dark Meadow Pipit (unless you know different) see above.

One notable aspect was the number of Pied Wagtails now on site, across the mudflats and Dip there must be no less that fifty or more birds present now and maybe the odd White Wagtail or two still remains in the area (see 2nd Oct posting) but no confirmation. Also looks like it has been another good year for Green Woodpecker in the valley again, good numbers in all the usual fields.

Finally on the insect front in a last glimpse of summer a single Peacock butterfly floated through.