... finished today with a warming to 2 or 3C having spent the last 5 or 6 days at temperatures below freezing.
We actually had some snow on Monday and Tuesday, although on the ground it never amounted to more than a dusting, but the near permafrost conditions kept an increase in the bird numbers in the garden for a few more days.
I had an astonishing number of finches, particularly Monday to Wednesday and in discussion with Mark Mallelieu, the SOS (Sussex Ornithological Society) County Recorder, I took some video, the best of which he kindly posted on the SOS youtube channel, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQvWK6plB8o
I've not tried videoing birds before, so I rigged up my old camera and lens and it seemed to work ok.
In terms of numbers, there were 40+ Chaffinch, a peak of 14 Brambling, 12 Lesser Redpoll plus the Mealy Redpoll until the 11th. 12+ Goldfinch up to 9 Siskin, 5 Greenfinch and a single appearance of a pair of Bullfinch. A male Blackcap also re-appeared for a few days. All along with 3 Pied Wagtails, a high count of 19 Blackbirds (generally at first light), a Mistle Thrush, Song Thrush, one or two Redwing and the local Robin, Dunnock, 5 Tit species up to 10 Stock Doves, Pheasants, Woodpigeons, Jackdaws, Magpies ..... it was busy.
Having said that there had been no sign locally of any influx of Snipe, Woodcock, Lapwing, Golden Plover, or Winter thrushes which had been reported in increasing numbers, that was until yesterday when I had 180 Lapwing all flying west in small groups over the course of an hour around midday.
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| Brambling |
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| Siskin |
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| Lesser Redpoll (left), Mealy Redpoll (right) |
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| Brambling |
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| Mealy Redpoll (left), Lesser Redpoll (right) |
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| 40+ Lapwing, one of the groups seen moving West |
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| Common Buzzard |
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