Thursday 26 December 2013

A Christmas update

Sorry for the lack of updates ,but it has a been a busy run up to the Christmas period. The harshest winter and the 100 days of snow are no where to be seen in fact it has been very mild and now very very wet ,with heavy rain ,gales etc so the area is once again under water.
As far as the birdlife things have settled down with most birds been seen being winterers. On the feeders we were graced by a pair of Blackcaps for a day (male, female), and all the usual suspects have been seen although still no Coal Tits and only one day with Redpolls and no still no Bramblings. There is still time though .
On the patch on Christmas day Willow and I were out early and saw 100 plus each of Redwing and Fieldfare on pasture. a group of Meadow Pipits 15 plus are wintering and we have a good flock of 38 plus Skylark were around on rough pasture.
Around the cattle feeders were 4 Pied Wagtail and 3 Red Legged Partridge .A Mistle Thrush and 2 Ravens passed over .2 Greater Spotted Woodpeckers were of interest.
Boxing Day morning was cold and clear ahead of another storm which is due, on the pasture land were 40  plus Skylark, 26 plus Meadow Pipits 4 Stock Dove and 3 Snipe feeding in a wet stubble field.
A Reed Bunting continues to winter here and there were 50 plus Black Headed Gulls on floodwater. A by now regular Raven passed over and 2 Buzzards ran the usual attacks by the local corvids.
Thrushes were represented by 58 plus Fieldfare ,20 plus Redwing and 8/9 Song Thrush including a flock of 7 .