November Gales

November 9th 2015 - light, fast moving cloud in the strong wind allowed some sunlight onto the riverside today. The river had receded after rainfall over the past few days but was flowing swiftly under the overhanging Blackthorn, Spindle, Dog Rose, Maple and Oak. Spindle fruits were almost as bright red as the rose hips, being a native local species, not the pink cultivated garden spindle.

Birds were drawn to this sheltered area where they spent time foraging, choosing the best of the abundant food. No need to search, grab and fly on yet.

Three boldly marked song thrushes - probably winter migrants - were seen foraging together on the sloes, picking a fruit, rolling it in the beak then swallowing.

Wind-blown Blackthorn, with plenty of fruits for the winter thrushes.

In the same place, two blackbirds were feeding whilst house sparrows flew in from their hedgerow roost where they foraged on insects together with numbers of blue tits and great tits  with smart (possibly ater) coal tits amongst them. A few goldcrests were also seen - foraging underneath the lichen on oak twigs, presumably for insects or spiders. Goldfinches called from higher branches.

Further downstream, a species-rich hedgerow in the open at the field margin was busy with yellowhammers once more, flying from the hedge down onto the weedy margin of the stubble field. A few active linnets could be seen in the dense hedge, with glimpses of bullfinch pair lit by the sun. A group of black-headed gulls were feeding together with a single common gull - a lot larger - on the grass and a great-spotted woodpecker was calling in a fine old Oak, a windswept tree fast losing its remaining leaves, it has weathered many a fierce storm over hundreds of years.

The Oak on the river bank

Wednesday 11th November 2015 was another warm windy day, overcast and becoming very dark towards midday. The wind had sent birds down to shelter and the lack of light meant many were roosting - but the dark day was suddenly turned to light when a kingfisher came flying downstream low over the water surface - A bright orange bullet sped towards me from the right, changing to a stunning blue 'bolt' as it passed very close to me and flew out of sight to the left in a bend in the river as I was looking down onto the water. 

Moorhens in a Willow

A quick look along the river today Tuesday 3rd November 2015

A very dim start to the day - but taking advantage of a bright interval when a gap in the clouds let the sun through for about thirty seconds, I decided to take a look at the damp landscape, lit by the bright yellow carpets of fallen leaves. As the morning advanced towards noon, it became darker and darker.

Perhaps birds were interpreting the oncoming darkness as nightfall - as there was suddenly a lot of activity in the sky.

Small groups of redwing flew across, then fieldfare in twos and threes, then woodpigeons in larger numbers.

I did not expect to see much in the gloom but there was plenty of activity. A nuthatch was calling and another showed well flying out of the Blackthorn. Robins appeared from the shadows, giving brief songs and wrens were heard giving alarm calls and short snatches of song. A great spotted woodpecker was calling persistently from an old oak, then flew off to a nearby tree.

Further along the river there were more persistent croaking calls - heard only infrequently here. These were difficult to locate - usually the calls would come from the river or low on the bank but walking towards a Willow still with plenty of bright yellow leaves, a movement amongst the leaves about halfway up the tree gave the caller away. A black roundish shape and red bill - a Moorhen - and a second moorhen on a branch just below it . 

Look for the two black dots, one in the centre of the picture.

The moorhen pair looked as if they were roosting - either they had been there all night or had just climbed up to roost as the light began to fade.... quite high up in the willow over the river.

Roosting up in trees means they are safe from predators such as foxes and raptors too, being protected by the leaves and branches. Later one dropped down into the river with a small splash. They climb and drop rather than fly into trees.

Nearby much quieter calls came from a family group of long-tailed tits foraging in a Maple - its leaves brown and yellow, then very high calls revealed quick-moving goldcrests, many more than usual feeding amongst the more ponderous blue tits in the canopy. These goldcrests must be winter migrants - finding a bonanza of insects here in the trees over the river.

A group of linnets flew across with a few landing on a bare tree top - perching high in order to survey the landscape and the nearby 'scrape'. Large numbers of goldfinches also flew over in groups under the uniform solid-grey sky with no wind to move the clouds away. Further along there were yet more goldcrests - excellent views of them foraging in the deciduous trees for a change from the usual conifers, and another, larger flock of long-tailed tits flew one by one across and into the riverside trees.

Some woodpigeons and carrion crows looked as if they were roosting - remaining very still on branches of the old trees whilst about 25 black-headed gulls in winter plumage foraged undisturbed on the grass. Only one blackbird was seen and a single songthrush flew low into a hedgerow. A single chiffchaff was busy amongst the blackthorn with a blackcap in the same thicket. No house sparrows were seen or heard (still roosting in their hedgerows) but numbers of starlings were wheeling over, catching aerial insects.