Trip reports
November 2011 Outdoor Meeting
Alan Loweth Images
Sunday, 13 November 2011
Weather sunny after early mist/fog but warm when sheltered from a briskish breeze.
List of 68 species.............58 at Cliffe and 12 at Northwood Hill.
CLIFFE...................Morning
Sadly no raptors spotted this morning but the day's highlights were Pintails,Golden eye (2 females), Golden Plovers,and so many Little Grebes we gave up counting.Huge movement of Lapwings, and respectable number of Little Egrets , Shelduck and a few Shovelers dabbled about.
Earlier on, a couple of Rock Pipits tested our ID skills whilst in company with some of the many Meadow Pipits out and about today.Over the sea wall the 'scopes picked up large gatherings of Avocets on the North Shore.
It must be said, that the quality of the light was brilliant and showed the birds plumage to perfection,we don't get that too much, it's either dazzling or murky-ish.
NORTHWOOD HILL................Afternoon.
After lunch to Northwood,and we ticked off quite a number of new species for the day at the feeders,located outside the RSPB offices, more than up the hill actually !!!!.
We pressed on , to hopefully add the missing raptors to our total for the day.No such luck, although passers by had spotted several hunting a couple or so hours before we arrived.
In the rapidly gathering dusk as the sun went down( not a bad sunset, but we've had spetacular here over the years) we counted increasing numbers of Fieldfares coming in,for the abundant berry supplies,and only a few Redwings (at either location).Think I've seen more overfly my garden lately !!!!.on their way to Lingfield Golf and Racecourse.
Called it a day, whilst we could still see to get back down the hill,and wended our various ways home,after another good day, in good company as always.
PS.
What was the Woodpigeon thing all about ????? answers on a postcard please to Alan Loweth ??????
LYNDA MAGGS