Brandon Marshes :: 26 October 2011

What a jay day! On arrival at the reserve there was a substantial increase in the numbers of people there ... apparently a lot to do with the kids club which had just finished. Lunch therefore had to wait and we decided to do a quick loop round the woodland and golf course before heading back for a sandwich. As with the rest of the afternoon we were luck enough to have constant companionship of jays: in flight; in trees and on the ground next to East Marsh Pool.

A flock (circ. 20) of what appeared at first to be linnet landed in the tops of some nearby trees. On later inspection of photos taken they turned out to be redpoll - a first for this autumn.

The species count for the day totalled 41, including: greenfinch, great tit, blue tit, robin, woodpigeon, feral pigeon, kestrel, carrion crow, gadwall, magpie, pheasant, raven, jay, wren, mallard, black headed gull, coot, shoveler, teal, tufted duck, moorhen, common gull, lapwing, cormorant, dunnock, nuthatch, long tailed tit, chaffinch, starling, redpoll, coal tit, bullfinch, great spotted woodpecker, grey heron, mute swan, pochard, snipe, canada goose, buzzard, blackbird and marsh tit.