Since the Seaford Wheatear, there's been very little to report on the birding front. The early part of the month still had a few more birds moving locally with the 16th the most notable when a Little Egret flew over the house (one sighting every couple of years) when there was also a Fieldfare, Mistle Thrush and a flock of 15 Redpoll.
A trip to the South Downs above Burpham with Mr Bowley failed to give us the hoped for Hen Harrier. In fact we seem to choose a morning where there was very little bird activity with only a couple of Red Kites and a single Buzzard, but before writing off the morning we we saved by a nice flock of 18 Corn Bunting. A good sight in Sussex these days.
Whilst there was limited interest at home it was improved by single sightings of a female-type Blackcap on berries on the 19th, a flyover Hawfinch on the 21st and the best garden bird of all, a brief Kingfisher in the pond on the 26th.
The next day I went to see Hannah in Nottingham and had a couple of hours before she finished work so stopped at the Attenborough Nature Reserve, a series of gravel pits next to the River Trent. Amongst the common wildfowl species were a few Goldeneye and over 20 Goosander. A calling Water Rail and Cetti's Warbler with a large flock of c120 Lapwing were highlights amongst the 47 species notched up in a couple of hours walk around the site before dusk.
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| Can't really see it but it's snowing |
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| The garden pond is in it's overgrown Winter transition |
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| Pied Wagtail |
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| Still surprised to get a brief visit from a Kingfisher |
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| Kingfisher |
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| Sunset at Attenborough Nature Reserve |
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