Being confined to the garden during the day for the last few days (boundary maintenance) has also enabled some observations of birds in the general area, or flying over.
Redwings have appeared in small numbers over the last three days, mostly in the hawthorns and nearby horse-grazed pasture. This morning, small flocks of fieldfares were noted to be heading west - probably in excess of two hundred during a couple of hours. Small numbers of skylarks were moving west over the Marteltwy/Landshipping area yesterday afternoon. Very few finches have been seen this week but a single brambling flew south-east high over the garden this morning. Had it not been calling, it would have been missed.
Chiffchaffs had been decidedly absent in our garden in recent weeks but today one appeared along with a couple of goldcrests. A couple of local raven pairs have also been displaying over the garden each day.
Starlings have started to roost again at Slebech reedbed (probably several thousand) as they often do at this time of year, before moving up to Dudwell. Numbers have been gradually building up in the area over the last week or so. Last night small flocks of a 1,000 or more were noted to be heading towards the reedbed over the A40 at Slebech and also gathering (prior to roosting) near Bluestone area.
