Saturday 18 November 2017

Thenford :: 18 November 2017

Despite the drizzle I decided that it would be a good morning to get some fresh air. The only local place I'd heard multiple sightings of hawfinch (other than over @987jonty's back garden) was around Thenford Church - decided. RedwingAs I approached the church I could see the attraction with substantial numbers of winter thrushes, first redwing and soon joined by fieldfare. Soon, to the right, I also had mistle thrush.

I circled the church and looked out, often distracted by movement of the thrushes. Seven moorhen fed at the edge of the lake and coot called. A wren however tried to drown out all the other calls.

No sight of any hawfinches I returned to the front of the church and Wrenfollowed the paths and gates to the left, down closer to the waters edge. Noisy mistle thrush called from the tops of trees but no joy for the target bird. I thought I saw another birder set down his scope in the churchyard and so looped back that way to see if they had had any luck but no one was around when I got there.

Looks like this millstone will stay around my neck for another week at least as I head back to Russia for work again this week.

Sightings (21) included: black-headed gull, blackbird, blue tit, carrion crow, chaffinch, coot, dunnock, fieldfare, goldfinch, greenfinch, jackdaw, lapwing, long-tailed tit, mistle thrush, moorhen, mute swan, redwing, robin, starling, woodpigeon and wren.