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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Fozzybear" data-source="post: 1996168" data-attributes="member: 69297">The melt has started so I put on my wellingtons to head out for a walk this morning. There were lots of Goldfinches and Chaffinches around the farm buildings and a Robin was searching for food in the snow under a bush next to where I stood.There were Lapwings flying over the fields to the east, Cormorants over the river and a vast flock of Woodpigeons in the air over the line of tall trees at the far edge of the farmland. Looking to the south I could see lots of small birds on the snowy hillside field near the fishing lake, which turned out to be Skylarks - at a guess fifty to a hundred of them! They scattered when a female Sparrowhawk flew low and direct across the field to the conifers bordering the main road. I disturbed a flock of Bullfinches at Sandford Mill, counting five that remained in the trees there but think that maybe as many again had flown away by the time I realised they were there - by far the largest numbers I've seen of these gorgeous dumpy birds. :t:There were lots of Little Grebes around, a few Pied Wagtails and at the Barnes Mill pool five Goosanders, three females and two males. In all I saw:Goldfinch, Chaffinch, Bullfinch,Robin, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Skylark,Starling, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Redwing (my first ones of the winter!),  Wren, Dunnock, Pied Wagtail, Reed Bunting (first one seen here since mid-summer!), Sparrowhawk, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Collared Dove, Woodpigeon,Pheasant, Lapwing, Cormorant, Mallard, Coot, Moorhen, Goosander, Little Grebe, Black-headed Gull, Common gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Herring gull.Excellent morning out and I was very glad I wore my wellies as although they're not warm (even through two pairs of socks) the beginning of the melt means there were a lot of icy pools that would have totally swamped over the top of my walking boots!</blockquote>

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