SUNDAY.Jon Lloyd & Mark Tarry

Well you can't get everything your own way!! This is the sort of winter morning us birders and photographers dream about.

A severe frost last night left the fields and hedges sharp with glittering white crystals. Every thing, every where white with frost. Even the barbed wire had extra barbs this morning.

As if by magic the cold weather had brought great flocks of Fieldfares and Redwings out into the fields and with them small groups of Blackbirds.

Redwing on the frozen fields

The Buzzards watched from on the top of telegraph poles and the Kestrel sat on the wires surveying the scene.

I couldn't find the Little Owl this morning but the usual meddly of songs came from the farm hedge as the House Sparrows warmed up for a mid morning performance. A couple of Collared Dove dashed around the farmyard.

I arrived at the hide in just in time to be told I had just missed the Male Hen Harrier. Mark had hardly settled in the hide, opened the window and put his bag to one side when the male bird appeared from the right. It came within 10 yards of the hide windows before taking off south over the hide. I must have been looking somewhere else at this time!!

Mark had hoped to see the female but was only too pleased to have seen the more colourful male and to have had such a good view was a bonus. He was rather taken with whole event, I smiled sweetly (and muttered curses under my breath!!) The male seems to have been seen four times now and usually a few mintues before I arrive..... enoughs enough!!

It was great sitting in the hide this morning, the visibility was wonderful and the view great. There were no ducks when we arrived but within in the hour a very flighty flock of some 200 Teal (Teal on ice Photo) blasted over and round several times before scating down. The pond was completely frozen.

The Water Rails had moved camp and were now set up just up stream from the hide and treated us to long and lenghthy squealing during the morning. Presumably the going was a little easier on brook edges where the moving water had not allowed everything to freeze. I managed to catch a glimse of a Water Rail flapping from one side of the brook to the other by sticking my head out of the hide.

A male and female Sparrowhawk toured the wetland several times, low and hesitating slightly as it lifted over the tumps of rush.

The Stonechat put in a breif appearance and a large flock of Linnets were put up and landed ona distant hedge.

Also seen,

Raven, Tree Sparrow, Goldfinch, Heron, Stock Dove and a small flock of geese in the distance.

Stonchat put in a breif appearance (old photo)

SATURDAY. Jon Lloyd, Mark Whitehouse and company.

A dull morning had turned into a very pleasant but very cold afternoon.

By the time we left the hide 4.45 pm the mist was settling down and the last of the sun dissapeared over the horzon through a beautiful pink haze.

There were still plenty of Redwing and Fieldfares in the fields. Buzzards hunting right up until dark. The Kestrel was hunting over the wetland but no sign of the Hen Harriers to day. A party of 9 Long Tailed Tits passed right in front of the hide whilst Green Finches, Blue Tits and Great Tits fed on the feeders behind the hide. We picked up the calls of Meadow Pipit but not Water Rail today.

The Stonechat bobbed about on the tall grasses in front of the hide and at one point came right out onto the midle of the ice where it found one or two morsels to eat. There had been a party of 4 Cormorant overhead and a single bird later in the afternoon. A single Teal shot by not bothering to comtemplate a landing on what must be very thick ice. Three Mallard flew over head.

A Reed Bunting called from somewhere near the hide but we din't see it and the same goes for a Red legged Partridge.

The Little Owl was sitting in the lower boughs of the Oak Tree in its usual area and 4 Collard Doves circled round the farm cooing loudly. The House sparrows were calling but no performance this late in the day. There was a party of Yellowhammers and a Tree Sparrow calling near the gate down to the hide from the road.