21 January 2007

Two different places?

I rarely go birding in the same place two days running (come to think of it, at the moment I rarely go birding two days running, but that's a different story).

Today, again short of spare time, I nipped out for a second successive stroll around the Radford Seleme fields - and it could almost have been a different place.

Most notably at the top of the hill, there were no Ravens. Watching them tumbling and dancing in the high winds yesterday, I wondered if this was why they had chosen this exposed spot. Perhaps I was right - today, with no wind to play in, they had gone.

In their place came two Buzzards roving across the fields and the edge of the village, mobbed by the Carrion Crow and Jackdaws as they went.

The huge Fieldfare flock of yesterday had also moved on, leaving just a solitary bird near the bottom of the hill. And where yesterday I saw a few distant Yellowhammers, today I was surrounded by them. Various birds which I only heard yesterday came out on show today as well - several Song Thrushes, Pheasants, Dunnocks and a Wren.

All in all, for a total of three hours birding, it has been a fabulous two days with an unforgettable patch first and huge variation - showing again why regular patch work is so important.

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