A stunning morning ,clear blue skies , no breeze a perfect morning, Willow and I were out at 7am with the sun rising over the mist covered river meadows , a perfect sight ,it felt good to be alive. There must be a early summer migrant , but in the event perhaps I was getting ahead of myself.
A massive flight of Gulls first thing was an amazing thing to see with an estimated 2500 Black Headed Gulls ,500 plus Common Gulls and a smaller number of Lesser Black Backed Gulls all heading upriver and North East.
On the pastures were 12 Skylarks with some in full song and Meadow Pipits had reduced to 29 plus ,some having moved on. A single Red Legged Partridge was heard calling ,but not seen .
The 3 by now regular Linnets were in the usual place and there were 4 Pied Wagtails feeding on the large piles of Cow manure that has been dumped in the fields ready for spreading .
A few tardy winter Thrush s remained with 5 Redwing and 13 plus Fieldfares, maybe these are birds passing through our area.
2 drumming Greater Spotted Woodpeckers were heard a sure sign that spring is really going to happen and a distant Green Woodpecker called.
I usually pass a small belt of conifers and its about this time I may see Britains smallest bird the Goldcrest ,and today species number 56 rolled in with 2 of these little beauties , I just do not see them enough around these parts. I have always admired them as when I was at Spurn point seeing them arrive across the North Sea at dawn was incredible ,smaller than a Wren and weighting less than a 10p piece to fly over the North Sea in October , nothing short of a miracle.
Best of the rest were 6 Stock Dove and a calling unseen Moorhen.
Having heard from a mate on the south coast that the first wave of Wheatears arrived this morning things should start to liven up somewhat.
The species list now stands at 56
