passer montanus!

Last visit in October: expectation 100%. Delivery 0%. This visit in November: expectation 0%. Delivery 100%: two firsts for the recording area! Things began quietly enough with 5 Reed Bunting in the set-aside. By the river 5 Cormarants left the trees as I arrived but 3 Grey Herons stayed put:

                      

Little else about until I hear a nervous chipping call from the hedgerows to the east of Old Barns Field, which makes me wonder if there is a raptor about before I actually wonder what was making the call. I get onto 2 birds diving into the top of the hedge, their rufous crowns and white cheeks, complete with black ear covert patch, only add up to one species: Tree Sparrow! I wait a few minutes for them to appear, when suddenly one appears in a tree behind the hedge. I fire off one poor record shot, before both Tree Sparrows leave and fly rapidly east:

                                  

A cracking find and a good local bird in the south of the county where this species is officially a rare localised breeder. Also species number 85 for the area, which rapidy becomes 86 as a Grey Wagtail flies over calling - a more expected addition to the list.
Heading back towards the village this feeding female Green Woodpecker (the males have red in the moustachial area) allowed me a moderately close appraoch:

The light was fantastic this morning, I couldn't resist another Red Kite shot:

And even the moon looked good: