Tuesday 10 January 2012

The afternoon was a bit brighter for the short patch visit over to the lakes today, and as yesterday it was quite warm and springlike. The ''wee wee wee '' call of the NUTHATCH heard coming from the Wet Woods as I walked through the Tree Nursery. Just a few magpies were around in the Nursery, plus a GREEN WOODPECKER, but as I crossed over the boundary stile, I looked up and saw two COMMON BUZZARDS (55) circling high over the Greenhouse Complex / Migrant Alley, the first of 2012  :-)

Approaching the lakes, there were just 4 MALLARD hiding under the overhanging branches. As I followed the path, I saw a bird fly up from the undergrowth, it was a large female SPARROWHAWK, on reaching the place it had flown from I found the fresh body of a Woodpigeon, minus its head, which had been devoured already! A GREY HERON flew over the main lake, but declined the offer of the fish dinner there, and carried on its way, I didn't walk the Scrubby Woods, I didn't want to disturb the Woodcock twice on consecutive days ( if they were there) and instead listened from the path, where I heard SISKIN, BULLFINCH, GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER, COAL TIT, another Nuthatch and a really loud SONGTHRUSH.

On walking back out, I unfortunately forgot about the Sparrowhawk with it's kill and disturbed it again - I wasn't thinking straight! I headed out over to the Greenhouse Complex, and onto my seat at Migrant Alley, but apart from seeing the KESTREL for the first time since the 6th, and noting a flyover YELLOWHAMMER, not much was happening, I stayed long enough to see the first 15 PIED WAGTAILS come into roost on the Greenhouses, and watched the first 5 LINNETS drop into their pre roost tree in the Nursery as I walked home........a bit of a mixed fortunes day today!

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