As planned, i returned today to confirm the ID of the Thrushes on the farmers fields and they were indeed large flocks of Redwing. No sign of Fieldfares as of yet, however that doesn't mean that they have not yet arrived just that myself has failed to spot them.

 

The weather was pretty much the same as yesterday except the wind has dropped right down, there is still alot of rolling cloud making the temperature quite mild. I kept a look out for Fungi today and spotted some off the track from Point 1. My journey today was concentrated around Points 2, 3 and 8.

 

Some Images from today:

 

 

Noticed this tiny hole in the tussock in the field between Points 8 and 1. The coin

next to it is a 20p to compare sizes. This would be made by a Field Vole or a Wood Mouse.               

 

 

On my walk back from Point 8, at the end of the track where it meets Point 1 (the bridge over the stream) i heard movement in the steadily rotting Butturbur. This is the area where i used to go and watch the kingfishers, it is about 5ft high in the spring, but now it's quite sparce and only perhaps knee high. I glanced into the Butterbur at the direction of the noise to see 2 Roe Deer turn and scamper away through the foliage, their white rumps dissapearing into the vegetation. This is the second time i've come across these Deer over Belvedere, both times have been in the afternoon. 

I set off around 11:30am this morning and spent around 3 hours birdwatching, this time i explored the fields east of point 5. The weather was typically overcast but surprisingly mild, the threat of rain was ever present. My aim was to see if the the winter migrants had returned to Belvedere fields, as i know they have in other parts of the area.

 

Alot of Thrushes were indeed present, unfortunatly they were over the farmers fields north of point 3, just out of range of my binoculars. I am 80% certain that they were Redwings, some larger Thrushes were mixed in aswell. A quick trip tomorrow morning is planned, the Telescope will help me get a positive ID.

 

In the fields further east of Point 5 a Great Spotted Woodpecker was making its way up a large tree beside the stream, alot of small passerines were also active around this area making up large groups of 30-40 birds. They were a mix of finch's, mostly Greenfinch with smaller numbers of Chaffinch and Goldfinch, feeding on the turned up soil of the farmers field.

 

As i walked back past the Water Treatment Plant a Sparrowhawk drifted through very low, it was instantly mobbed by approximately 20-25 Jackdaw. I bought some bird seed and wild bird fat balls yesterday, they will be placed at Point 8 tomorrow. The location is out of the way from the normal route of dog walkers, it also has coverage from surrounding tree's so the birds will not be vulnerable to predation when feeding.  

October's lust.

As the seasons change, so does the wildlife. There are no summer migrants left over Belvedere Fields, not a Swift or Swallow in sight. I have noticed a large increase in the activity of the Thrushes and Jay's in particular, as is expected at this time of year. The Thrushes will be making the most of the berry crop until the winter migrants from Scandinavia start to arrive, these being Fieldfare, Redwing and Waxwing.

The Jays are busy burying food for the winter, they depend heavily upon trees, especially Oak for their existance. They bury acorns for their winter food and also store beech-nuts, peas, potatoes, fruit and berries. Studies on how many acorns a Jay can store in just one season revealed that a single Jay can store as many as 5,000 acorns, a staggering amount. The jay can also remember where it buried most of its stock by using nearby features to help lead it to the spot, just remarkable.

My visit yesterday was during a break in the weather, however soon after i got back a thunder storm rolled in. Jays were indeed abundant on the trip, as were the Thrushes. A group of 4 or 5 Song Thrushes were present at point 3 along with a few Blackbirds. In the field behind point 3, four Mistle Thrushes were on the ground next to the pond, along with a Grey Heron standing motionless. A buzzard made a low swoop across the field, scattering the Thrushes.

Jackdaws and Magpies were making a lot of noise on the water treatment plant and further on 3 Grey Wagtails flew over in the direction of the small stream. Just before Point 5, where i am going to be placing my feeders in the next 2 weeks, a flock of 10 Yellowhammers flitted in the hedgerow, a strong group of both males and females. My favourite time to see Yellowhammers is in the winter, their yellow and chestnut plumage stands out beautifully against the backdrop of frost or snow.

In the field adjacent at Point 5 a large gathering of Rooks perched in the tree, with some feeding in the field, the number was around 20 - 30. This is the first time i've seen Rooks over Belvedere Fields, i was kinda hoping of possibly seeing a Ring Ouzel passing through on it's journey up north but alas i did not. 

I will be going more often in the next week or so, bad weather or not, i want to record the date of the arrival of the winter migrants. It shouldnt be too long now before Redwing and Fieldfare return to the area.