November 1st and the start date for the winter bird survey. I've chosen a couple of tetrads to do this year - Rishton Reservoir/Whitebirk and Hoddlesden. I did my first two hour count on the former - as I set off, I could hear the distinctive calls of Pinkeet overhead - a skein of 210 headed south-east over the house. As it was a bright and cold morning, birds were active. A couple of drake Wigeon were unexpected as was a Kingfisher - a bird that keeps turning up on my count days!
There was nothing else out of the ordinary so I headed back home to do some work in the garden. One thing I have noticed was the lack of finches in the area - Redwings and Fieldfares have arrived or are passing through, but the number of finches has dropped dramatically. Anyway it was mid-afternoon when I heard a bit of a commotion from some Crows overhead - I looked up and saw a large raptor being mobbed. I dashed for my binoculars and was rewarded with wonderful views of a Common Buzzard right over the garden.
There was nothing else out of the ordinary so I headed back home to do some work in the garden. One thing I have noticed was the lack of finches in the area - Redwings and Fieldfares have arrived or are passing through, but the number of finches has dropped dramatically. Anyway it was mid-afternoon when I heard a bit of a commotion from some Crows overhead - I looked up and saw a large raptor being mobbed. I dashed for my binoculars and was rewarded with wonderful views of a Common Buzzard right over the garden.
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