Just back from a 11 and a half trek over the Himalayas, or was it really a nightmare.
The snow and biting E/NE and at times a gale-force wind, meant this was not the early 'spring all-dayer' I had planned for.
Fair play to Gert, Sy, Rob and Ian for braving it.
I decided to start at the Moors east hide just to keep out of the wind.
There was some early movement of meadow pipits some moving south but later groups went north. A single bird fed around the SW marsh late on. There was some obvious cold weather movement including a flock in excess of 60 redpoll, and the snipe flock had certainly been augmented by the weather over the last few days. The Pintails flew through at about 11.47 battling against the blizzard with no intention of landing and included one male.
From the left side of the hide there was an amazing amount of activity on the muddy stretch of field. This was probably due to the ideal soft conditions and the 'shelter' afforded to it by the eastern boundary hedgerow. The number of birds from the hide to the telegraph poles was as high a density you would get anywhere, the strip is no larger than 10 yards x 60 yards, numbers and species included. water rail 2, snipe 40+, oystercatcher 2, redwing 120, fieldfare 10, song thrush 5, blackbird 6, starling, redpoll 30, goldfinch 12, chaffinch 5, greenfinch, reed bunting 2, blue great and long tailed tits in good numbers, carrion crow 2, wood pigeon, dunnock, robin and a chiffchaff in the bramble,
species count for the MOORS
GCG 4, little grebe 4 (2 prs), mute swan pr, cormorant 10, shoveler 14 (6 prs + 2 males), teal 12, gadwall 6 (3 prs), shelduck pr, PINTAIL 7,tufted 35, NO POCHARD, coot 40, water rail 8 (4 in and around Amy's marsh and 4 in front of the new hide). oystercatcher 4, snipe 55 - 60, herring gull 5, LBBG 10, common gull, BHG 120, NO Raptors seen, although the gulls were spooked several times by an unseen predator. green and great sp woodp (2), collard dove 3, meadow pipit 20, redpoll 60+, siskin 5, goldfinch 20, song thrush 6, redwing 120+, fieldfare 12, chiffchaff 2,
Feeding Station: greenfinch 20+, reed bunting 15, bullfinch 2, dunnock 9, chaffinch 5,