Nature Notes

Birds seen today, during a 1h30 walk in the field late afternoon.

BIRD HIGHLIGHTS

• 1 Sparrowhawk (male) - seen swooping gracefully across the "upper" field towards the garden gates, where it narrowly failed to catch a song thrush. It briefly perched in full view on the fence, then flew off again in hot pursuit. 30 minutes later, seen in exactly the same spot chasing a Blackbird.

• 3 Hawfinches - regularly seen and heard overhead, and in the woodland's highest treetops.

• 4 Bullfinches - at the back of the woodlands where the hawfinches like to be.

• 2 Serins - inconspicuously feeding in the neighbour's garden.

• 3 Short-Toed Treecreepers - showing very closely in the field hedgerows.

OTHER BIRDS

• 1 Kestrel

• 2 White Wagtails

• 1 Song Thrush

• 2 Buzzards

• 1 Chiffchaff - singing

• 1 Blackcap - singing

• 1 Great-Spotted Woodpecker

• 1 Green Woodpecker

• 1 Chaffinch

• 1 Wren - heard only

• 2 Robins

• 3 Blue Tits

• 3 Great Tits

• 2 Mistle Thrushes

• 1 House Sparrow - heard only

• 1 Greenfinch - heard only

• 1 Dunnock - heard only

• 6 Blackbirds

• 2 Carrion Crows

• 4 Wood Pigeons

• 1 Magpie

• 30 Starlings

See Le Fresnot's eBird site for all past checklists.

Photo: Sparrowhawk c/o Wikimedia Commons.