A very cold southerly wind made it feel like winter and the number of winter thrushes reflected this.
Started off with a walk around the North Moors, where several redwing fed along the east side, smaller numbers of song thrushes were amongst them with a couple also singing. But generally things were quiet other than a singing Cetti's and 6 tufted feeding on the pool.
From here I met AH from the Trust at the Flashes to discuss the ongoing survey work.
Here good numbers of thrushes (all 5 species) fed in the old orchard to the east and later many fed in our hedgerows on the western and southern boundaries.
Also giving a good show, were finches (6 species) in the same hedges as well as tits, reed bunting and a green woodpecker.
The lagoons were quiet with just the expected teal and lapwings dominating.
Species count Flashes:
Teal 50+, lapwing c300, coot 10, water rail, green woodp, stock dove 20+, cetti's w 2, redwing 400+, fieldfare 12, mistle thrush 2, song thrush 3, redpoll 32, greenfinch, chaffinch 3, bullfinch 4, goldfinch 40, linnet 6, reed bunting 8
overhead - sklark, siskin, meadow pipit 2.
Sailing pool: GCG 4 ( 2juvs), tufted 4,
MOORS: Back to the Moors, birding from the west hide. Where immediately the present of the dog otter was given away by the coot flock running across the water. It duly performed well for Bill B, this being his first sighting. There was a small increase in coot and tufted numbers and a couple of wigeon appeared.
Species count Moors:
Little grebe 6, cormorant 20, mute swan pr + 2 juvs, shoveler c80, teal 25, wigeon 2, tufted 27, coot 330, water rail 3, curlew 11, snipe, lapwing, kestrel, cetti's 2,
Feeding station: coal tit 2, redpoll 5 close by reed bunting 8, plus greenfinch, bullfinch and the usual.
