The weather has been poor for the start of November, not much heavy rain but dark, grey and full of drizzle, so I have had to grab my moments in the wild as and when I could. The result is a lot of dark, moody photos with the asence of any sunshine !
Locally to home we have seen an increase in the number of garden birds coming to the feeders as the natural food is drying up. The Goldfinches are back in large numbers, both on the Niger seed and Sunflower hearts, the Greater Spotted Woodpecker is also back as a regular visitor on the peanuts. There have been good numbers of Greenfinch, Linnets, Long Tailed Tits and Tree Creepers all looking for food, and the Wrens are back with three of them fighting each other for territory.
On the pond, all has been quiet, the Mute Swans have been absent for two weeks or more, the Mallards have moved on and been replace by six or seven Teal. The Grey Heron still visits most days, and the Kingfisher flys in and out quickly every few days, but I’ve yet to see it stop to feed.
Further afield near Frizzington the Barn Owls have been out hunting, but with it getting darker so much earlier I’m struggling to figure out the best times to see them, and the last few visits have led to photos of the birds rear end as it flys away! Kestrels are plentiful in the area, and yesterday we saw our first flock of Redwings and Fieldfares, mixed togethor feeding on Hawthorn berries on the old railway line.
With any luck the gloom will lift and I will be able to get out in some sun soon, fingers crossed
