Thursday 8th March 2012 - Shenstone

I'm a little behind with my blog posts due to last week's sad events but I thought it was time to start posting again.  This entry is from last Thursday afternoon.

I started my visit to the patch at Stanklyn Lane where 19 Redwing, 7 Fieldfare and 2 Green Woodpecker were in the paddocks. I could hear a number of Corn Bunting calling from the beet field and walked over to investigate.  Large numbers of finches and buntings were feeding on the newly scarified field.  At one point some thing spooked them and they all flew up.  The Corn Buntings separated from the mixed flock and all perched up in the top of the lone tree in the middle of the field.  There seemed to be a large number so I scoped through them a number of times to get an accurate count and see if they were all Corn Buntings.  They were and in total I counted 76 Corn Buntings!  I was stunned as this was a new patch record count.  The highest previous total was 47 earlier this winter. Also of note on this field were 10 Yellowhammer, c.60 Chaffinch, 10 Greenfinch, 2 Goldfinch and 4 Skylark

From Stanklyn I headed over to Butts Lane to undertake the walk across the field and back along the lane. It was fairly quiet but there were a few Skylark up singing. There was also one rather showy individual who had decided to perch up on top of a sprout stem...cue  photo opportunity!

Skylark - 8th March 2012















Click on YouTube logo to enlarge

7 comments:

  1. You must have the entire population of Corn Buntings there Jase!! :-)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wow Jason! 76 Corn Buntings! Direct a few to Brake lane please!

    How lovely that the Skylark in the video was so obliging. I usually only manage a blue sky with a black blob that is posing as a Skylark in most of my pics.

    ReplyDelete
  3. A Skylark, it is a beautiful photos.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Warren - It was a phenomenal count. I either have more present around the patch than I realised (and they have had a good breeding season) or more likely my numbers have been bolstered by over-winterers from else where.

    Pam - Potentially the Brakemill buntings may have joined my flock for the winter, are you still seeing them there at the mo? As for the Skylark...this bird was most obliging!

    Bob - Thanks mate..they are smarter looking birds than people realise

    ReplyDelete
  5. WOW....76 Corn Bunts, Jason. That`s almost unheard of these days.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Yes I was Gobsmacked at the sight Dean!

    ReplyDelete
  7. I haven't seen a Corn Bunting for a few weeks now Jason. I have only seen them on the wires at Brake Lane. I was at Brake Mill Pool for a short time this morning and it was very quiet, the greyness of the day didn't inspire me or the wildlife.lol!

    ReplyDelete