IanF
Moderator
I spent the afternoon at Low Barns. One of the best visits I've had for a while. I was a bit taken aback when I saw the feeding station with the screen fence missing though on our last visit a couple of panels were storm damaged. Reading the note attached it sounds to me like they are leaving it with just the rail fence in front. Maybe we should get JBee and CW to pop in and show them how to make a wattle screen or two?
Loads of scrub clearance still ongoing so plenty of materials.No sign of any Smew, nearest thing was the return of the strange Smew-looking duck that was there last year - some sort of hybrid though we never did get to the bottom of it's origins. It was on the west pond this afternoon but staying very distant from the hide. Also present here were Mallard, Tufted Duck, Coot, Moorhen, Wigeon and Teal. The ponies disturbed around a dozen Snipe a couple of which appeared to be Jack Snipe the way they jumped up and straight back down. A pair of Greylag Coose looped the pond a couple of times but never landed.
On the river by the ford was a very obliging Grey Wagtail and just upstream a group of five Goosansder (4m 1f) which were very skittish. Whilst watching them I spotted a Water Rail on the far bank having a good bathe and a Willow Tit was in the waterside trees overhead where I was sat. A Sparrowhawk passed overhead apparently chasing away a Kestrel.
From the hill top hide I could only spot Coot x3 on the water and a pair of Mallard. On the ridge behind the ponds was one of the Hooded Crow hybrids.
Walking back down the riverside path through the conifers I came across Siskin x3, Goldcrest x2 and a group of Long-tailed Tit c.10.
Marston Lake from the south hide was very quiet indeed with very few birds in sight. Mute Swan x1, Goldeneye x4 (1m 3f), Coot x3, Moorhen x1, Cormorant x1. Staff were on the west bank which may have displaced the birds. The area in front of the hide was frozen as was the east end of the lake.
Carrying on around the lake and calling in at the north hide and checking Alder Wood there was little to see. A Woodpecker was calling but not in sight. A few Mallard were in the pools of water under the trees.
At the feeding station a GSW left just as I arrived. A Goldcrest was in the trees to the left of the feeders. A Willow Tit came in once or twice but Chaffinch, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Coal Tit, Blackbird and a Robin were regulars. What appears to be a Bank Vole was beneath one of the feeders.
Just about then I received a phone call about the Hume's Leaf Warbler at Norton so I headed over there before it got too dark.
