This morning I enjoyed a very pleasant walk around the Blueberry / valley below Hanging Houghton area . Everywhere glistened due to the overnight frost and initially bright sunshine which sadly was short lived and it was another dull November day.
Plenty of Redwings and Fieldfares eating the berries in the hedgerows whilst on the fields Skylarks, Chaffinches and Yellowhammers in good numbers.  However there is one less skylark as a male Merlin caught one for his breakfast. The Skylark put up a good fight and whilst it was fantastic to watch this duel at close quarters I felt quite sad when it was out witted by this fearsome falcon.
I flushed a Barn Owl from a hedge where it sat enjoying the brief spell of sunshine and further on a couple of Woodcock from the bottom of the same hedge !!
There was a pair of Stonechat along one of the overgrown ditches. These are new arrivals as I walk this area most days and they were not there yesterday.  
Other birds of note were at least 4 Bramblings, a Siskin and 8 Grey Partridge.
A visit to Harrington this afternoon was quiet apart from a Short Eared Owl and 2 Ravens.

Regards Eleanor