But what an anti-climax, there wasn't a single one to be found, let alone heard. All I can say is that the south coast must heaving with them. When Nigel Pleass contacted me last night at around 9:11pm to let me know that the skies above were filled with calling Redwing, I also went outside and heard them, on and off right up until midnight. In amongst them were Song Thrushes calling and I even had a Fieldfare.
What I did find was 5 Blackbirds and 2 Song Thrushes in the copse. However in the stubble fields there were plenty of finches with really good numbers of Linnets, split into two flocks of 80+ and 40+ with latter having a few Corn Bunting in amongst them. A large flock of Skylarks and Meadow Pipit took off as I arrived and headed off towards Lower Upham Farm.
Many Linnets in the fields
And another flock
Linnets in flight
Just a few of the 150+ Linnet at Folly Farm
An undercarriage shot
The second flock of Linnets with a few Corn Bunting in amongst them.
Away from the fields and in the hedgerows were 3 Chiffchaffs with one singing and as I started my walk down the track a Great Spotted Woodpecker landed in a dead tree 50 meters in front of me, before flying off to the base of Liddington Hill. The ivy is now out in flower and there were a lot of bees and wasps feeding off it, plus a Red Admiral. Across the field a Kestrel sat in a tree and another was hovering above Liddington Hill.
One of two Kestrel seen here today
One of two female Pheasants in the copse
Birds Recorded: 2 Kestrel, 2 Pheasant, 7 Lesser Black-backed Gull, Wood Pigeon, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 20+ Skylark, 4 Swallow, 30+ Meadow Pipit, 4 Dunnock, 2 Robin, 5 Blackbird, 2 Song Thrush, 3 Chiffchaff (1 singing), 12+ Long-tailed Tit, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Magpie, Rook, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Chaffinch, 150+ Linnet, Goldfinch, 5 Corn Bunting and 2 Yellowhammer. Also lots of wasps sp., bees sp. and a Red Admiral.
I left Folly Farm and headed off to Foxhill where I was greeted by a huge flock of 300+ finches, most looked like Linnet, but they flew out of sight before I could see what else was in amongst them. A Red Kite came into view and was trying to get away from 3 Rooks that continually mobbed it. Down by the mast a Chiffchaff was calling and there was a tit flock moving through the hedgerow.
A Red Kite is helped along its way by 3 Rooks.
Foxhill: 1 Red Kite, 1 Kestrel, 6 Lesser Black-backed Gull, Wood Pigeon, Meadow Pipit, 1 Chiffchaff, Long-tailed Tit, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Rook, Chaffinch, 300+ Linnet and Goldfinch.