Saturday, 27 September 2014

26/09/2014 Around Uckfield

Friday 26th September 2014
Within 1 mile of my house


With no news of any rarities nearby, I made a long-overdue walk around the woods near my home heading roughly south towards the Millennium Green via the Old Laundry.  It must have been over a year since I last made this trip.

  • To my surprise I saw a lovely Kingfisher on a branch overlooking the stream; I would have thought that there was very little in the way of fish for the bird but I am probably wrong.  Whatever the reason it was a stunning view from 10 metres or less before the bird realised I was there and moved away.  Needless to say, this was a first on this site.


  • Not far away from this, in a pond near the new housing estate, I came across a couple of Mandarins, one of which was in stunning plumage.  Yet another first for me and another huge surprise. They were sitting on the branch of a tree a few feet above the water but disappeared soon after I arrived; how can a large duck with such brilliant colours disappear in a small pond? 


  • The next noteworthy event was the sheer number of Green Woodpeckers seen in the area, particularly to the east of the Millennium Green, with no less than 5 seen.  3 of them provided great views.  Obviously they are thriving here.

  • There were the usual suspects with Corvids, Tits etc.  Other interesting sightings included a Jay flying away from me into the woods ahead and a flock of 17 Canada Geese flying overhead.


What a lovely late afternoon walk!
 
 
 
Today's species list:
 
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Magpie
Blue Tit
Great Tit
Wren
Chaffinch
Moorhen
Mallard
Green Woodpecker   (10)
Canada Goose
Woodpigeon
Great-spotted Woodpecker
Kingfisher
Blackbird
Buzzard
Robin
Collared Dove
Chiffchaff
Jay   (20)
 

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