Monday 16 March 2015

Monday March 16

Weather-wise today was a rerun of yesterday, cloudy, and cold. A few spots of rain too. However, for birds it was a distinct improvement.

I followed the same route as yesterday, and soon heard a singing Chiffchaff just beyond the entrance to Netherstead Farm access road. I also started seeing far more Redwings than yesterday, and eventually reached a total of 98.

Chatting to a lady at the farm where we buy eggs, it seems that Bovine TB has struck her cattle herd and now appears to be affecting most of the local farmers.

Down at the pool I soon spotted my target for the day as the field beyond it had several Greylag Geese, all paired up, just waiting to be sketched. I duly obliged.


Also in the field were 15 Canada Geese. Walking past the pool after I had finished sketching I noticed a tiny splash. A short while later the perpetrator emerged, my first Little Grebe of the year.


Moving on to the flashes it was clear there were lots of birds, and also that most of them were Starlings. I counted 240, plus most of the Redwings alluded to earlier, and about 30 Fieldfares. Beyond them were 22 Teal, a Green Sandpiper, and the Redshank was still present.

The walk back produced a lot of corvids and Woodpigeons swirling about, and eventually a large Sparrowhawk which was presumably the cause of the mayhem.

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