Thursday 19 January 2017

Run on the mill at the pits

Abbots Salford
Four Grey Herons
Goosander flock
Goldfinches
Yellow-legged Gull on main pit
Canada Geese
Can't beat a Blackbird
A patch tick is a patch tick
Three shorter than normal patch visits at the weekend due to some increased shifts for the sports taxi. Sadly the weather wasn't good on any visit, freezing wind and rain on all occasions.

A late visit on Friday unearthed a Yellow-legged Gull on the main pit whilst down at Abbots Salford there were nine Goosanders, a Wigeon, four Pochard, 10 Grey Heron, a Kingfisher and 8 Meadow Pipits. Three of the those were my first records of the year, so not all bad.

I met Jon at 8.30am on Sunday and we had to work hard to find our wintering Green Sandpiper on Pophills. The main pit was very quiet & a bit disappointing, when braving the elements you think you deserve to find a good bird but it rarely works like this.

The small bit of marsh by the main pit was fruitful as we found a single Jack Snipe & two Common Snipe (11 recorded in morning). As we headed to do our large circular walk there were large numbers of Fieldfares and Wood Pigeons, quite a sight when flushed by the local game keeper.

Other records included a Raven, Great Black-backed Gull, 15 Herring Gulls, there Little Grebe (large drop recently), 47 Cormorant, three Grey Herons, four Mute Swans, 125 Greylag, 250 Canada Geese, 14 Gadwall, 135 Teal, 200 Mallard, ten Shoveler, six Pochard, 48 Tufted Duck, 124 Coot, 20 Meadow Pipits. 

I'm still yet to find that pesky Marsh Tit up at Hillers but I did find a flock of Goldfinches feeding in the rain. Other patch species outstanding for the year include Golden Plover, Great Crested Grebe, Grey Partridge, Jay !, Redpoll, all Owls, Peregrine, Red Kite, Grey Wagtail, Pintail, Little Egret, Merlin, Mandarin, Corn Bunting all of which are feasible in January. Next week perhaps……..

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