Head for Higher Ground

This weekend, I was set for having a lie-in on Saturday and then to get up really early on Sunday to have a look round the southern end of Oakley Wood before heading off to Lighthorne.  However, late Friday night, I received a text from a birding pal of mine who normally works shifts asking if I fancied a spot of birding on Saturday afternoon - I did!

Yellowhammer

With a few downpours and breezy conditions coming from the south west, we decided to head for higher ground in the hope of catching any Wheatears or Ring Ouzels downed by rain.  We drove up to Burton Dassett Hills but decided to continue driving through the country park, which, despite the weather had masses of families gallivanting round every single spot.  We parked up just outside the country park and followed the footpath that leads into a valley and then close to Gredenton Hill.  The area held 5 Linnet, Stock Doves, Jackdaws, Crows, Rooks and on the top of the hill our first resplendent male Wheatear of the year.

After half killing ourselves with the climb back to the car, through a field full of newborn lambs, we decided to get out of the wind and go for a walk in Oakley Wood.  En route we saw 3 Ravens with 2 displaying to each other.  Oakley Wood held the usual species with a calling Great Spotted Woodpecker, Coal Tits, Great Tits, Long Tailed Tits, at least 4 Marsh Tits, 3 singing Goldcrests and 3 Chiffchaffs.

As the wind had died down a bit, we took a stroll up Wasperton Lane and across the public footpath to Hareway Lane.  This area is great for finch flocks with the public footpath being the most profitable with a flock of Yellowhammer in excess of 60 birds.  On the way back to the car, we came across a gorgeous Hare in the middle of one of the crop fields.

This morning, despite waking up at 6:00am, I just could not be bothered getting out of bed (probably because it was so darn cold), so me and my birder's wife ended up going shopping instead.

Roll on next weekend when hopefully it will be a bit warmer and a few more migrants will have graced our shores.