Looking back

at yesterdays count on Prestwick Carr it is clear autumn is well established. Not many Blackbirds yet nor any Redwing although I did see five over Tranwell Woods on Tuesday last week. Plenty of Skylark movement again and small flocks of 15 plus Swallow and 10 plus House Martin remain at Prestwick Mill. Robins must be establishing winter territories as I found 23, many of them singing, as were two Chiffchaffs. Most interesting however were seven Goldcrest travelling in two vocal parties probably winter migrants that came in on the back of last weeks weather.

As I watched the Goldcrests in the strong low sun 20 Redpoll flew overhead and some calling in the bushes twenty meters on alerted me to three Bullfinch. Notwithstanding my recent post all three (two males and a female) perched on the top of the bush allowing some poor shots (damn that low sun!)

Nice to see though which contributed to the mornings tally of 42 species including a pair of Jay at Banks Pond. I see that the Wildlife Trust have cut some strips through the dense reed grass where the Owls hunt which can only be a good thing allowing its use by more birds and exposing the small mammals on which the Crows were preying last night. These fields were always good for Reed Bunting and Grasshopper Warbler but were so dense they untied your shoelaces if you walked through so some opening up, as was supposed to be carried out by the tennant farmers, hopefully may lead to a more varied wildlife.

Looking at the fine sun early in the afternoon headed down to Tynemouth to try and photograph the Yellow Browed Warbler at the pier base. Liverbirder and two others were present and had seen the bird so I set up and waited, and waited and waited. Two hours later the sun had gone, the wind had risen, I'd seen five birders, had numerous enquiries from passing tourists as to why I was staring at a hillside and just two of the very briefest glimpses neither of which merited even alerting the waiting public never mind focusing the camera. Such is life...good job I'd got some better views last Thursday for the year tick.