An enjoyable winter day.......

Jan 16 - An enjoyable and productive morning in fine winter weather with little wind. An early check on pits 28/29/30 at CWP revealed an impressive total of 8 Smew, 3 smart drakes and 5 redheads, very flighty as usual.

Then a very productive session at Shorncote - excellent views of the Siberian Chiffchaff alongside at least 6 Common Chiffchaffs, also 3 Cetti's Warblers present. The Stonechat in its usual area, now looking like a first-winter male, 2 Grey Wagtails on the stream and Meadow Pipits around the floods. 11 Little Egrets were also on the floods, and 2 Water Rails seen and another 2 heard. 90+ Teal present with 6 Shoveler. A calling Kingfisher and a pair of Sparrowhawks were new for the patch year list. 2 Ravens flew over mobbed by Crows, an 120+ Lapwings and 3 Snipe also seen. The Little Owl still eyeing me up from its usual willow tree. The 5 common Thrush species all seen and included a singing Mistle Thrush, 4 Song Thrushes, 20 Fieldfares and 70 Redwings. In the afternoon, a trip to Abingdon allowed a brief stop to Dorchester sailing lake where the first-winter drake Long-tailed Duck, one of my favourite seaducks, was feeding actively, and allowed good scope views. Year list 121.

LT Duck photo 2, copyright Roger Wyatt.