...and what will this year be like ? Couldn't make any predictions just hoping..
The start to the year was....erm.. measured.
I went for a walk from the house to the Furnace Pond and back it was pretty misty and cold, but starting the year with a bird list of 43 species was ok. Highlight was a brief view of a Kingfisher on the pond. Plenty of Mandarin there with Mallard, Moorhen, Grey Heron and a Cormorant but no sight of a Teal which I had hoped for. The woods and fields were pretty quiet, the commoner woodland species being seen with the exception of Treecreeper and no Firecrest or Fieldfare. I had brief views of a Buzzard, a Red Kite and a Sparrowhawk, but no hoped for Goshawk. A bird that shot over may have been a Hawfinch but it was too fleeting a glimpse and a moment of excitement when I thought I had a Barn Owl sitting on a post, but turned out to be a woolly hat !!
Yesterday I firstly walked in Rackham Woods, stopping at the viewpoint over Amberely Wildbrooks, it was calm overcast but the sounds of wildfowl emanating from the brooks was magical. The number of duck were in impressive numbers. A very rough count of Northern Pintail estimated 300 but they were well outnumbered by Eurasian Teal and EurasianWigeon and there must have been well over 100 Northern Shoveler and a few hundred Lapwing. With the large flock of Greylag and Canada Geese I counted 36 Greater White-fronted Geese. Only Red Kite, Buzzard and a Kestrel were the visible raptors and they weren't being particularly active, none of the hoped for Harriers appeared. I then went to Burpham and walked up on the downs. The 10 wintering Bewick Swans were in their preferred field, all adults, so no youngsters with them which is a shame to see. The tiny Sewage planted had 6 Common Chiffchaffs and one very clean Tristis or Siberian Chiffchaff. A walk up to the Burgh produced both Grey and Red-legged Partridge, Linnets, Skylark, Yellowhammer and Reed Bunting lots more Red Kite a few Northern Ravens and Buzzards but hanging around until the crepuscular light started produced no hoped for owls or harriers for me.
Today was mostly spent at home although Sal and I went for a 'woodland' walk, which was very muddy and zero birds although I did see a Treecreeper at home.
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| Grey Wagtail in muddy field |
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| Grey Wagtail |
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| Roe Deer |
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| Barn Owl ?,... no woolly hat !! - had me fooled for a few moments !! |
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| A mixture of Greylag, Canada and White-fronted Geese on the Wildbrooks |
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| Siberian Chiffchaff |
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| Siberian Chiffchaff |
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| Siberian Chiffchaff |
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| Grey Partridge |
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| Linnets |
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| raven in silhouette
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