Cold and misty day..

Had a look at to see how much white stuff had landed overnight 2-3 inches was the answer and I quickly realised that the bird feeders were totally empty!!!

Having filled all the feeders and the water trough I returned to the warmth of the house,straight away a single fieldfare flew in and started to tuck into the feast I had laid out in the garden.He/She was quickly joined by two dunnocks a robin and several blackbirds,then the starlings arrived to help clear the bread on the snow.

I decided to have a walk around the village and noticed several bullfinch rummaging around in the shrubs,what was obvious was the huge number of fieldfare in the hedgerows (100+) GSW flew over and a large flock of long tailed tits were observed desperately trying to find food in the shrubs.

I then spotted something moving around in the shrubs turned out to be a dunnock.

walked a bit further flushing out dozens of fieldfare in the process they really are very vocal and hungry.

I decided to move on and see if any barn owls were about found one but sadly he refused to come out of his box obviously much warmer where he was I decided to leave him alone and move on.On arrival at Bubwith bridge it was clear that the river had dropped by a significant amount and visible to all was a huge number of waders golden plover,redshank and snipe in number.wigeon and teal also in big numbers.

Again more fieldfare and several redwing were observed.

I must admit the poor lapwings looked frozen but they were very vocal and were seen to be flying high and then dive bombing other members of the group.

Back at the bridge no sign of the otter that had been seen earlier in the week but there was a small lock of what looked like meadow pipits (6)

Snipe were now all over the place hunting and probing for food in the mud.

I then decided to move onto the GS hide at north duff carrs the light had not been great all day and the mist was descending fast so int the hide stacks of lapwings and a huge flock of Whooper swans (80+) mutes around as well as the usual teal and wigeon,wrens foraging outside the hide and at one point 7 yes 7 robins were seen outside the hide fighting and looking for food, two bewicks flew in late on and as usual the huge gull roost was building up nicely I hope we get some better visibility tomorrow.

New Year New Patch

After watching from my kitchen window 9 collared doves and 30+ sparrows dispatch my expensive bird seed (supported by a rather fat woodpigeon)  I decided to have a look around the village.Made my way to Bubwith bridge and noted a female sprawk trying to finish eating a blackbird. At the bridge there was the usual wigeon,teal,mallards lots of crows and rooks playing in the thermals at the newly exposed field (water is going down slowly!).

Then decided to have a look around the village church, fieldfare and redwing active in the shrubs which are still surprisingly heavy with fruit.Big numbers of blackbirds and robins as well as the usual noisy wrens. Walked towards dingle dell and could see 15-20 whoopers at the back of the farm (no wonder I can not see them from the bridge!!)

Moving on 40+ rooks were very vocal and huge flocks of starlings and woodpigeon were noted.
Single magpie keeping a beady eye on proceedings as was a number of jackdaw.I then came across the following flock approx 100 birds.

Mainly sparrows but also in with them dunnock, 4-6 yellowhammer,chaffinch,greeninch,brambling,bullfinch,and siskin, they were swooping onto the field feeding and then darting back into the hawthorn.Brilliant to watch even if the light was poor.

 

A further stroll and a bird which I have never seen in the flesh and one that gets people all worked up.

 

now I guess i get it.Very nice to see and was in fact a bit of a poser,obviously very hungry.

Moving on and leaving him to his afternoon tea,

I had another big sprawk fly across my path and a very wet field with over 20 moorehen in it. 4 more yellow hammers and a GSW completed a very pleasant walk.

 

Spent the last 30 minutes in the GS hide pintail,teal,greylags whoopers,mutes,robin,wren,BHG, big juv herring gulls, loads of lapwings and the usual flypast by the ever reliable barn owl.

 

I make that 30+ differnt birds for a two hour stroll.