Summary : November 2014
Summary : November 2014
Birding Group Days Out
The first birding group day out of November was to Tatton Park on the 4th. It was a lovely autumn day and still quite warm. It was a bit quiet in Dog Wood but we did see GS Woodpecker, Treecreeper and Nuthatch. On the water there was a fair spread of birds with small numbers of Pochard and Wigeon and the usual Great-Crested Grebes and a Little Grebe. All in all, though, it was a little quite – a nice day for a walk though !
Our visit to Frodsham Marsh and the Weaver Bend on the 11th was notable for our first sighting of the morning – a Barn Owl !
On the 18th November we had a nice, sunny morning at Sandbach Flashes which gave us an interesting test of Sparrowhawk identification and Ruff hunting.
The last birding group day of the month was a nice day out to Hoylake where we had a lovely sunny day with no wind at all – perhaps not that good for bringing in the tide but lovely nevertheless. Highlights included a breeding plumage Grey Plover and some lovely Sanderling. A visit to Burton Mere Wetlands on our way back home also gave us the Cattle Egret again and also a ringtail Hen Harrier.
Garden
With food in the countryside tapering off a bit and insects less easily gained, birds are returning to the garden and with the days now getting shorter, the feeders are busy. For example, on the 7th November we had a flock of about a dozen Blue Tits feeding from Mahonia seeds and seeds from our Sunflower Plants as well as from the feeders. We also had a Nuthatch on the peanut feeder and Starlings, Collared Doves, Wood Pigeon, Wren, Blackbird, Magpie. This, of course, attracts the cats so we are having to chase off yet another newcomer to the area but as soon as the birds see a cat, they immediately lie low for a while and that puts an end to garden bird watching for a while l
Bu the middle of the month we had an influx of Starlings who eat everything in the garden. They have even figured out how to land on the window feeder so the Tit flock – now up to around ten birds – has to struggle to get at the peanuts there. By the end of the month the flock had reached about fourteen feeding pretty much every day, several times a day.
Solo Birding Days Out
Apart from Birding Group days we didn’t really get out much this month. We did get to Dunham Massey on the 28th where it was pretty dull but our day was improved by catching sight of a small flock of Redwing moving from tree to tree. On our way back home we dropped in at Chorlton Water Park in the hope of seeing the Ring necked Parakeets that have been seen on the feeders recently. As it happens, we were out of luck but we had lovely close views of a Jay.