Starlings & Skylarks

Lade - 0800hrs - Cold, frosty, sunny start, overcast and drizzle by mid-afternoon - The first heavy frost of the autumn/winter brought a distinctly end of migration feel to things this morning. However, small flocks of Starlings continued to stream in off the bay and head inland. It appears that a Waxwing invasion is underway, mainly in Scotland and down the east coast of England, but also birds have been seen as close as Thanet, so I spent a bit of time checking the Starling flocks out, just in case...
Every so often a trickle of Skylarks would pass overhead and it occurred to me how few have come our way this autumn. The only other passerines on the move were 20 Chaffinches, plus a high-flying spotted woodpecker...
On the pits all the usual wildfowl, plus Long-tailed Duck and Goldeneye on north pit. Also, 2 Marsh Harriers over the farmland and a pale Buzzard on the 20 foot `mirror`.

                                          Buzzard, Lade