Time to TTV
As a contribution to the BTO’s Bird Atlas 2007-11 we volunteered in a rash moment to take on another TTV (Timed Tetrad Visist) for this season - we chose the tetrad (a 2km x 2km square) that was vacant and did the early winter visit on the 15th November 2009. Cold and grey day today.
Our chosen tetrad was TL32P which started in the very picturesque village of Aspenden. Lots of small bird activity in and around the village but as we got further out into the countryside - mostly a ploughed agricultural desert - there was scant pickings apart from Woodpigeons.
Surveying from the public footpath, a little bit of hedgerow but mostly agricultural desert, mostly devoid of any birdlife.
Here is a run-down of our sighting (a total of 39 spp) from last visit and this:-
| Species | Early winter | Late winter | ||
| Hour 1 | Hour 2 | Hour 1 | Hour 2 | |
| Mallard | 2 | |||
| Red-legged Partridge | 1 | |||
| Pheasant | 2 | |||
| Buzzard | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Kestrel | 1 | 1 | ||
| Black-headed Gull | 3 | |||
| Common Gull | 9 | 3 | ||
| Woodpigeon | 221 | 95 | 304 | 507 |
| Collared Dove | 12 | 9 | ||
| Green Woodpecker | 1 | 1 | ||
| Great Spotted Woodpecker | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| Skylark | 3 | 9 | ||
| Meadow Pipit | 1 | |||
| Grey Wagtail | 1 | |||
| Pied Wagtail | 3 | |||
| Wren | 3 | 2 | 3 | |
| Dunnock | 2 | 1 | 1 | |
| Robin | 7 | 7 | 5 | 4 |
| Blackbird | 7 | 8 | 5 | 2 |
| Fieldfare | 14 | 108 | 2 | |
| Redwing | 4 | 12 | ||
| Mistle Thrush | 5 | 5 | 2 | |
| Goldcrest | 5 | |||
| Long-tailed Tit | 6 | 6 | 9 | |
| Coal Tit | 2 | |||
| Blue Tit | 5 | 8 | 14 | 2 |
| Great Tit | 3 | 1 | 6 | |
| Magpie | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 |
| Jackdaw | 60 | 9 | 60 | |
| Rook | 47 | 1 | 30 | |
| Carrion Crow | 12 | 6 | 29 | 4 |
| Starling | 2 | 40 | ||
| House Sparrow | 3 | 3 | ||
| Chaffinch | 31 | 8 | 6 | 8 |
| Greenfinch | 5 | 6 | 1 | 2 |
| Goldfinch | 9 | 2 | 22 | |
| Linnet | 16 | |||
| Bullfinch | 1 | 4 | 5 | |
| Yellowhammer | 43 | 12 | 3 | 8 |
| Species count | 28 | 29 | 26 | 16 |
We did almost start to get excited by a small spot just outside our tetrad when we spotted a stonking male Smew along with a couple of female/immatures. However, scanning through the ducks and discovering 3 Red-breasted Geese and 3 Snow Geese the word “collection” immediately sprang to mind!
One of the beautiful cottages in Aspenden
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