Monday 11 January 2016

More heavy rain this morning meant a later patch visit, which was again only a couple of hours in duration due to more hefty showers moving in.

There were a few bits and pieces of interest to be found though, my first CANADA GEESE (59) of the year were seen leaving the lakes as I approached, four or five were just visible through the trees as they flew off. There was also a GREY HERON and a lone male GOOSANDER present along with a few MALLARDS and MOORHENS.

The 3 resident raptor species were all seen hunting, the BUZZARD on the paddocks at Migrant Alley, the male SPARROWHAWK along Ashes Lane, and the female KESTREL at the Greenhouse Grounds, where I saw 6 YELLOWHAMMERS today.

A party of 10-15 SISKINS flew over the Ashes Lane Fields towards the Greenhouses, as did a GREY WAGTAIL, while on the very wet fields themselves 7 MEADOW PIPITS were recorded. It looks so inviting for a Snipe or maybe a Green Sandpiper to be out there in the muddy conditions, fingers crossed!

Still no images possible in this awful weather   :-(

4 comments:

Derek Faulkner said...

Doesn't get any easier does it. Not long finished the monthly WEBS count on the reserve, wading through water and mud.
Stand out birds were 270 Whitefronts, 1 Barnacle and 1 Hooded Crow. The Richards Pipit was still about but I didn't bother with that.

Warren Baker said...

Derek,
Na...I wouldn't have bothered with the RP either :-)

Derek Faulkner said...

I've seen it half a dozen times, gets boring after that.

Warren Baker said...

Same as Goosanders here Derek!