Thursday 12 February 2009

Friday 6th February 2009

Another grey day!

Today was the same as yesterday, grey and overcast. But the northerly wind was colder. I visited Mudbank Lane and the first birds I put my bins on were a Spotted Redshank and a Greenshank! They were feeding in the usual channel mouth just by the railway line. There plenty of the usual waders feeding out on the side of the waterline, with the tide nearly up to the side of the estuary. Also a few Pintail and Wigeon were evident today, whereas the large numbers usually encountered here in the earlier part of winter had moved on up the estuary to find fresher feeding grounds. I wandered along the track to West Lodge, seeing the usual Grey Herons and Little Egrets, and a pair of Buzzards sat on fenceposts. However, there was nothing unusual to be found. I turned round and ambled back again, a single Skylark flying over calling.
Later, I popped up to Bystock Reserve. There was a little ice on the surface of the lake in places, but most of the water was ice-free. A Cormorant was sitting on a partially-sunken log, an unusual species here. I walked up to the top end of the reserve, but the best birds I could find were a pair of Bullfinches and two Green Woodpeckers.

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