A Great Spotted Woodpecker was drumming strongly this afternoon in trees on the escarpment south of Alkborough.
But back to the winter gloom: like Michael Harrison (posting 6th December), here at Garthorpe we have a strip of wild bird cover with lots of fodder radish that is proving very attractive to linnets. They are difficult to count as they swirl about and disappear behind trees but my highest estimate to date was 410 on 13th November, and I reckoned at least 350 still today. Smaller numbers of Chaffinches, Greenfinches, Tree Sparrows and Reed Buntings with them. One or more Sparrowhawks regularly give them some exercise. One day this week, I counted 110 Linnets, from the house, feeding on the driveway. Finches and buntings often do this in the mornings: I am not sure what they are after, as there are no seeds visible to me on it - grit perhaps?
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