Tuesday 20 December 2016

Last count of the year




A somewhat frustrating visit to Salford Priors on Sunday. I'd arrived pretty early and had a tough first hour trudging through the fog until Jon arrived with his magic wand to lift the gloom. Pophills was restricted to two female Wigeon, two Grey Heron, three Green Sandpipers (late morning) and the regular wildfowl. There were 295 Greylags and 110 Canada Geese feeding in the fields towards Ennister Wood with our resident Buzzard sat on the barn.

Down at the south lagoon the recently seen Stonechat wasn't playing ball however a Kingfisher, 14 Cormorant & calling Water Rail were recorded.

As we checked out the hidden pools a Raven was swooping low over the main pit causing trouble. The Common Snipe were very tough to find with just four being counted and sadly no Jack Snipe. Very grim considering we had 20+ last year. We came across six Hares and two Roe Deer. 

On the main pit there were 15 Little Grebe, 18 Mute Swan,  37 Gadwall, 92 Teal, 225 Mallard, nine Shoveler, 13 Pochard, 53 Tufted Duck, 127 Coot, eight Lapwing ,five  Common and seven Herring Gulls. 

Other highlighted sightings included a Tawny Owl being mobbed in the plantation, a Grey Wagtail, five Meadow Pipits, a Marsh Tit, Treecreeper and five Siskins and three Redpolls flying over.

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