A Quick Walk around Manor Farm

After cycling over 14 miles yesterday and falling off my bike for the first time since I was a child I planned only a quick walk today, the aim was to see if a Stonechat reported to me on here was still around and hoping to pick up a few winter birds for the patch list, alas there was no sign of the chat and due to some work going on at the farm (digger at West end and two large rock trucks going from one end to the other on the south side) there wasn’t much about at all.

As always it seems I started at the old locks, since passage is dying back I may well start somewhere else from now on as it was quite quiet, I was pleased to see (and poorly photograph) and Goldcrest and some Long-tailed tits, as well as hearing a Nuthatch and seeing a single Treecreeper, unfortunately that was all.

Goldcrest (heavy crop) – Manor Farm, Milton Keynes

Long-tailed tit – Wolverton, Milton Keynes

Northside Walk

I took the north path around the lakes today in the hope of the afore mentioned chat, but alas there was none to be seen, in fact there was little of note at all bar 1 Gadwall, and a rather feisty male Mute Swan who was busy seeing off all the other swans in the area.

Aggressive Mute Swan – Manor Farm, Milton Keynes

Grey Heron in flight – Manor Farm, Milton Keynes

Fly by

With the work going on on the scrape I didn’t hold out much hope of much else being about. And it was only due to this work flushing a large flock of Lapwing that I managed my 104th patch bird. In the shape of a single Golden Plover in amongst the flock. They all eventually headed East towards the Linford pit complex. But next time I hope for better than just flight views.