No stripes, no cigar

... but there is supposed to be a Yank (Semi-P) 50 miles up the road on the Brue. Ringing has again been slow due to the weather. Down here we've had stronger winds from the soth-east, not a good direction for 'traffic'. Saying that, when I was out tempting fate last Thursday, I did have my first Fieldfare in the orchard by the stream; none since. A few Mipit stragglers passed over in ones and twos, the four Little Egrets were 'on the patch' and were spooked by a Red Deer hind, in turned spooked by 'us' (me and the dog, Cerise). A couple of passing flocks of Siskin eventually amalgamated in one of 28-30. before flying SW over the village.

I haven't heard or seen any Redwings but one or two new male Blackbirds have arrived/stopped off. They look alot cleaner than our local juveniles and, all bar one, congruously with the shorter wing-lengths of the 'south-western locals'. Goldcrests have returned after a two month absence and the Coal Tits are noisesome again. The thing that is most noticeable is the number of Blue Tits coming to the garden orchard. On trapping, these are mainly birds that were ringed at the end of the winter or immediately post-fledging, none having been seen since they obtained a BTO ring.

I found a dead Badger at the end of the road. It was clean and had no marks and may have been a true road-kill; you can never tell round here as some unscrupulous farmers leave them beside the road to look as if they died an accidental death. Two days after, I noticed a couple in a Landie carefully picking it up; why they wanted it, I do not know, perhaps to just remove and bury it.

Apart from the Mipits, there has been a strong passage of Skylarks, probably a couple of hundred every morning. there have also been the odd day with a trickle of 'alba' and grey wagtails. No Robins or noteworthy thrushes yet. Today, another Sparrowhawk - only I was on the wrong side of the net at the time and it rolled out and back the way it came. Bugger. The Bullfinches are now out and about in the hedgerows, talking of which, this year's poor crop of Blackberries is almost over. Must admit, I enjoyed two suppers of blackberry and apple pie with ice cream this weekend though!

To catch up, birds ringed from Thurs. to Sun. -
Goldcrest 1
Blue Tit 14 (5)
Coal Tit 2 (2)
Long-tailed Tit (9)
Wren (1)
Blackbird 2
Song Thrush 1
Robin (1)
Goldfinch 3 (1)

As the WSR comes to the end of the season (trains stop from November to February, apart from Xmas specials) there are no scheduled trains on Mondays and Fridays. This allows 'driver training' on both steam and diesel. This often means a mix of wagons made up especially for the "new" drivers under instruction. Below, and three fields away, is one such, a GWR mixed goods behind a more modern diesel loco. [Looks like a Class 33]