November part 2

19th Visit to wildlife area in Cambridge to see the starlings unfortunately the weather is foggy. The starling perform beautifully - undulating like a swarm, or like fish in the sea. Suddenly a waterfall of birds as they go to roost. Fab! On the way I saw my first wild barn owl in  Field nearby the roost.

Barn Owl (Tyto alba) Hunting silently using sight and sound to locate their prey, shrews, mice, voles and frogs. They lay 4-6 white eggs and may have 2 broods.
"The Owl that watching in the barn ,
sees the mouse creeping in the corn."  ...Samuel Butler
Last week in November and it has turned winter cold. A robin sits a perch fluffed up for ages just watching then defending his territory against the sparrows. A woodpecker appears 3 gardens away.
Snow - the coldest spell in 17 years. Lots of visitors to the garden looking for food including the woodpecker.

Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major)
At home in both conifer and broadleaved woodland. Lays 4-7 glossy white eggs. Feeds on larvae. beetles, wasps, moths and sometimes small birds. He lands at the bottom of the bird table and works his way up to the food.
 "Rap, rap, rap, rap. I hear thy knocking bill."  ...Montgomery