Over 1000 Wood Pigeon,100+Pintails,Bewicks,Whoopers,Marsh Harriers Mipits

Had a cracking lunchtime early afternoon session on the LDV we actually got some half decent light for a few hours!!! I the great man upstairs was a birder!

Had a walk around and came across a huge flock of Wood Pigeon easily over 1000 birds then had a walk on the usual path other than the run of the mill tits,wrens robins etc there was not a great deal so I moved on lots of rooks and crows about but again nothing of any great interest. A lone kestrel flew across the fields and my usual gaggle of 25+ moorehen were as comical as ever.

Decided to head back when I took a detour as I could see even more woodpigeon flying around, came across this heap of whatever and noticed in the ditch to the left a good size flock of reed bunting 10-15 back at the heap and I noticed upto 30 little birds scurrying about obviously eating something in the heap, I tried to get closer.....

Moved onto the bridge and noted 1000's of teal and wigeon very upset by something in the area (no not me!) more on that later.

 Bloomin Twig (Doh!)

Sorry but could not resist the above two....
Still could not work out why there were so few birds around.
Finally made it to North Duff Carrs came across a lovely thrush and a tiny goldcrest on the way in I then  met up with a stranger to these parts Arnie I think he said his name was!!!

It then dawned on me why there were so few birds out and about there must have been at least three open shoots going on and all the birds had assembled on the carrs. 1000's of birds!!!!!

Pintail coming out of our earholes easily 100+ also brilliant views of Goldeneye, Pochard, Wigeon, Teal, Golden Plover, Lapwing,100's of Tufteds Greylags Mutes Whoopers and at least two Bewicks.

Wildfowl on the river getting seriously spooked......heres why....

 

then this.........

 

and finally this....

 

 

In fairness there were two Buzzard's and Two Marsh Harriers Patrolling the river.

 

Most of the bird action was in front of the farm in the corner where the male scaup put in an appearance so I couldn't resist a peek...

 

Decided to get back to the flock of meadow pipits and skylarks as the light was fading fast had one barn owl and stacks of skylarks in the fields barn owl put in a late show but he was distant and by 3pm the light was so bad I gave it up for the day even my mate below had thrown in the towel,,,,

 

 

 



 

Turdus pilaris

Another brisk walk on the local patch this morning and I noticed a huge flock of Fieldfare (300+) they were obviously very hungry and were also very vocal.Nothing else except for the usual robin,wren,great tits and blue tits although all the blue tits I came across were all feeding on the floor.

Moved onto Aughton and had a look around the church could see lots of teal and wigeon across the ings but not much else so decided to have a look around Bubwith bridge one of the huge Aughton buzzards was seen roosting in the top of a roadside tree it flew off as soon as I stopped the car.
Nothing like as many birds as yesterday but there were a lot more walkers out today as the flood water is dropping fast, more on that later.
Good size flocks of lapwing and yet more fieldfare and redwing still plenty of snipe around and 6-8 redshank.
Reed buntings were numerous (8-10) as were chaffinch and the local sparrow population is still looking healthy.Several collared dove were flying around and a constant stream of incoming gulls were seen

popped into the GS hide and thankfully I was greeted by my regular barn owl pheasants and partridge running around in the fields, plenty of crows rooks and jackdaws hanging around.

Shortly after getting settled in an empty hide all the visible teal and wigeon on the river were seriously spooked by something, I followed the flock and observed a single Marsh harrier gliding down the river.

I was then joined by three other birders and within 5 minutes one of them had picked out the male scaup dozing off on the icy water loads of pochard and 100+ tufted duck were seen.Pintails looking good in the fading light lots of whoopers near the still flooded garganey hide but numbers were well down on yesterday.

Garganey hide!!!!

decided to risk a walk to the gargeney hide to see what the floods had done.................

Think this will take some drying out!!!!

more redshank and snipe flying over and a huge flock of starlings, walking back to the GS hide I had chaffinch, great tit,blue tit robin and a very busy goldcrest.