Of Birds & Cake the Blog of Paul: Windy walk!!

Not the ideal forecast for my local walk today basically as Pooh would say a Kin Blustery Day though to be honest probably not his exact words😂!! I made it out by 7.30 my plan was to head down Bullfinch Lane with an aim to see if anything was moving (Wheatears reported in Sussex yesterday!) and maybe getting some pics of anything flying over. Was on me own again Margie, preferring a warm bed to being battered by storm force winds, go figure😏 Our road had the usual Starlings and Sparrows and Orchard Way much the same, things improved as I walked along the Albourne Road a very showy Wren and the chatter of Goldfinch eventually leading to good views of a nice Charm of between 20 and 30 birds, was also a couple of Chaffinch in with them which was nice! The big lens is not the best at capturing big flocks but managed to pick out a few of the more posy individuals!!

Starling

Wren

Chaffinch

Goldfinch

Told you there was more than one!!

Bullfinch Lane was quiet although plenty of signs that spring is in the air, first time on my local walks that I haven't heard or seen a Song Thrush and no Fieldfares or Redwings with Blackbird numbers well down, maybe the wind making them keep their heads down or more likely an exodus back oop north!

Daffs

Seems to be suggesting I go this way!

Moody church pic this week!!

Common Gull

Black-headed Gull

Primrose

The top fields were brutally windy, Skylarks were singing, though on the deck not risking being swept away and I could hear 3 or 4 Yellowhammers in song but they too were buried in the hedges and then a minor miracle occurred, I saw a Green Woodpecker, only not the usual flyaway laughing kind of view but a down on the ground doing Green Woodpeckery type of stuff type of view, I go into full ninja mode melding with the hedge in an effort to get some pics😎!!

Green Woodpecker

A Stock Dove flew over at approximately 240mph😀mainly wind assisted, there was a huge Gull flock in the fields of, I think Washbrook Farm, at least a couple of hundred Birds but were frustratingly distant could pick out Black-headed Gull, Common Gull and Herring Gulls but had to be something a little more exotic in there, a Med Gull would be greeted like a mega for me after all these weeks of Lockdown!!😂I went down a path that I thought would get me closer, long story short it didn't!!

Wind assisted Stock Dove

Dark clouds a gathering

Small part of the Gull Flock

The Birds

A female Great Spotted Woodpecker flew into a tree close by and surprised me by Drumming several times, didn't realise females drummed as well, everyday's a school day even at my advanced years!!

Great Spotted Woodpecker

A nice view from the top

Blacked-back Gull can't decide Greater or Lesser leaning towards Greater which is probably wrong

After this I followed the path down the side of the A23 crossed the Albourne Road and followed the path through to Langton Lane a long trek with little action, though nice to see the blossom coming through and a few Greenfinch about.