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OCTOBER & NOVEMBER 2024
Interesting bird records from South Brent parish during Oct and Nov were as follows:
•Barn Owl. Several sightings from Whinfield, Brent Hill and Overbrent.
•Black Redstart. One in the village on 27 Oct was the only record, in spite of much searching.
•Cormorant. Two flew into Avon Dam from downriver on 11 Oct.
•Firecrest. Two in Clobells in late Nov.
•Golden Plover. A flock of 250 in the Three Barrows area on 15 Oct, and 15 flew N over Stidston later in the month.
•Goosander. Max roost counts at Avon Dam were four in Oct and 19 in Nov. Three were on the river at Avonwick in late Nov. A synchronized Devon roost count of 16 Nov found 72, of which 16 were at Avon Dam.
•Fieldfare. Very scarce this autumn. One on the churchyard yew on 9 Oct was the first of few, with a max count of only 10 at Great Palstone on 21 Nov.
•Herring Gull. Max count was at least 200 feeding in the barley field off Palstone Lane in late Nov and resting in the grass field on the other side of Portford Lane. Ten, probably the village population, seen together on a Clobells roof on 21 Oct.
•House Sparrows. No longer present in a Harwell Lane garden, where there used to be 30+.
•Jackdaw. Plenty around as usual, including a bunch who took all the apples from a tree in Springfield Road. At least 100 among the corvids feeding in the Palstone Lane barley field.
•Kingfisher. One at Avon Dam on 12 Oct was a site (and square) first.
•Mallard. Max of only eight, at Avon Dam on 4 Oct suggests a scarcity this autumn.
•Merlin. One flew across fields at Portford Lane on 21 Nov.
•Redwing. Several records of small numbers from 4 Oct onwards, peaking in the third week of Oct, when 100s were seen at various locations, followed by only a few records in Nov.
•Reed Bunting. Two on Brent Hill on 18 Oct was a site (and square) first. Also seen in small groups at more usual sites below Avon Dam and at Dockwell.
•Ring Ouzel. Several records in the Avon Valley from 4 Oct, but with a max count of only four. Other records from Dockwell on 10 Oct, Brent Hill on 19 Oct and Glaze Valley (three) on 31 Oct. Last was at Avon Dam on 16 Nov.
•Song Thrush. One singing on Brent Hill on 14 Oct was the only record of autumn thrush song.
•Siskin. Back using feeders in a Moorland Park garden in Nov after an absence during most of Sep and Oct. Ditto Bullfinch.
•Snipe. Four flushed at Dockwell on 10 Oct.
•Sparrowhawk. Several records including one taking a Starling at edge of Palston barley field near dusk on 27 Nov.
•Starling. In addition to around 50 in the village (probably the ones that roost in the Plymouth Road bamboos), there have been larger feeding flocks in stubble near the top of Forder Lane and in unharvested barley off Palstone Lane. The former started off with a few hundred in late Oct, increasing to an estimated 2,000 in Nov and still present at the end of the month. Up to 1,000 were at Palstone for about a week in late Nov. All these birds flew in the Marley direction at around 16:00 to an unknown roost site.
•Teal. Max counts at Avon Dam were four in Oct and 23 in Nov.
•Woodpigeon. Only a couple of sightings of small (<100) migrating flocks in early Nov, but at least 200 were feeding in the Palstone barley field at the end of the month.
•Yellowhammer. At least five in hedge in Palstone Lane on 30 Nov, with Chaffinches and House Sparrows.

Thanks to Nicky Cozens, Phil Dean, Richard Finnemore, Paul Heatley, Sylvia & Pete Hamilton, Kerry Honnor, Mike Goss, Mike Ingram, Chris Klee, John Luscombe, Dave MacDiarmid, Ken Neal, Gaynor & Adrian Platt, Dave Scott, George Welch and Devon Birds website for additional records. Please submit any interesting records for December by the end of the month, either via the website or to preay6960@gmail.com