October 29th 2008

It was another clear night dropping to at least minus 3 so it was bloody cold with icy roads and the remains of yesterdays snow still laying on the high ground as I entered the valley at first light. This unseasonal cold spell certainly brought the owls out and I had my best count for sometime with 4 Barn Owl, 2 Little Owl and a Tawny Owl around the Sawbridge / Willoughby area and once the sun rose then smaller birds became very active along the roadside hedges picking up 8 Reed Bunting, 42 Chaffinch, 12 Yellowhammer, Blackcap female, 130 Fieldfare and 38 Redwing between Sawbridge and Grandborough Fields. The Stonechat was still at Grandborough Fields Farm along with 13 Skylarks 2 Mistle Thrushes and Sparrowhawk. Checked the double barns area along the Flecknoe Road but no sign of Snow Bunting or Long-eared Owl all though there was some commotion in the next field which may have indicated the owl’s presence. In the time allowed walked the Grandborough to Dunchurch footpath as far as the lagoons. Reed Bunting 4, Skylark 12, Linnet 150, Fieldfare 76, Redwing 35, Meadow Pipit 12, Chaffinch 180, Brambling male and Stonechat male.
Back in Rugby for domestic duties gave me a chance to check out my garden feeders with Coal Tit 3, Chaffinch 6 and plenty of Blue and Great Tits plus a brief visit from a Goldcrest. This also gave me a chance to check the moth trap and was surprised to find a Common Marbled Carpet in there, just shows how hardy these little critters are.
John Judge rang informing me of two more Whooper Swans at Draycote Water so out again after dinner. The sunshine did not make me feel any warmer and the Whooper’s which were both adults were in toft bay before flying off south.


Whooper Swan
Through out my visit there were a small groups of migrants going over and my total count was an impressive 4000 Starlings, 530 Skylark which is the largest movement I have recorded here for this species, 100 Chaffinch, 200 Redwing, 50 Fieldfare, 9 Reed Bunting and.6 Lesser Redpoll. Decided to stay for roost and conditions were ideal with no wind though the temperature did plummet and recorded adult Yellow-legged Gull and adult winter Med Gull before my extremities said they had enough. Also present were Kingfisher 3, Common Sandpiper, Siskin 2, Shoveler 5, Gadwall 11, Pochard 4, Goldeneye 3 and Little Owl 2.
Checking my records today’s and yesterdays Whooper Swan records were my 13th and 14th record involving 78 birds and only recorded in 12 out of 32 years so shows they are still a scarce bird around these parts in comparison to Bewick Swan for which I have 59 records of over 600 birds and recorded in 26 out of 32 years.

Richard