SUNDAY.Jon Lloyd

A dull morning with dark skies with the odd burst of bright light in there somewhere. But can't complain becuase it was at least warm. I started ona tour of the Weal Moors and circled the the farm looking down on it from the north. Plenty of Rooks and Jackdaws about and a couple of Ravens. The Hen Harrier was not about in rough land to the west of the wetland. Several Herons stood on the edge of the Strine and a female Sparrowhawk flew low between the banks and went to ground out of sight. In the distance a single adult Mute Swan flying high and purposefully.

A Buzzard walked into a flooded field pool up to its knees whilst a Carrion Crow not believing its eyes kept edging up very close to it. The Crow seemed quite fasinated and the Buzzard uninterested in the attention it was getting. This went on for several mintues before the Buzzard flew off and was followed by the Crow and its mate. The filed in which I stood looking down on the farm had large flock of 50 plus Skylarks and amongst them a single Meadow Pipit

The flatland the east of the farm turned up several more Buzzards sitting on the fence posts and low in the trees watching the field edges. A single Mistle Thrush chided from a corner tree int he wood .

A Large party of Linnets with several Greenfinches fed on the seed heads in the areas sown by the gamekeepers for the Pheasants. These areas have been very useful on the land surrounding Wall Farm and one of these areas has been the prime site for the female Hen Harrier but not today!!

I met up with Martin when I eventually pulled up at the bridge before the wooded lane on the farm. He had seen the same big flocks of Fieldfares that I had seen, perhaps numbering 250. On the way down the road he had disturbed two cock and one hen Bullfinch. While we stood talking 3 Cormorants and then a small flock of Redwing flew over head.

The farm was busy with the usual birds, Tree Sparrow, House Sparrow and a Dunnock in the hedge bottom in front of the farm. The Little Owl was out sitting on its usual post.

From the hide I could see the usual large numbers of Teal out on the pools and a pair of Mute Swans on one of the nearer banks.

They spent 30 mintues going through every feather. The Stonechat appeared nearby and during the next hour or so came quite near to the hide. There were several Moorhens about but no sign of the Pintail or Wigeon seen yesterday.

During the next hour I was treated to a wonderful arial display from a huge Lapwing flock, certainly the biggest seen here this winter numbering 500 or more. There were no Golden Plover with them but from time to time a small group of Starlings joined up.

A male Sparrowhawk flew across the wetland and dropped to ground several time. Once landed it dint seem to stop hunting but jumped on both feet from tump to tump out on the wetland. I dint see it catch anything and it eventually flew off to the right.

During the morning about 150 Black Headed Gulls landed on the pools there numbers gradually gaining.

TUESDAY - Martin Grant

When I arrived I filled the feeders and soon attracted 4 Tree Sparrows, Blue Tit, Great Tit and Greenfinch to the feeders. 50 Mallard , 350 Teal. A pair of Shoveler were circling the marsh they must have seen me arrive, they soon settled back down. I found the male Wigeon to the right of the marsh on the pools. In the field to the right of the marsh was a flock of Fieldfare feeding on the ground, they seem to be using the ground more now they have eaten all the hawthorn berries. 2 Wrens were in front of the hide scolding a Blue Tit that was feeding on the Reed heads. The female Stonechat was still feeding in front of the hide half way across the marsh. A Buzzard was on the fence at the back of the marsh and just before I left 3 Mute Swans flew in.

WEDNESDAY -

THURSDAY - Martin Grant

400 +Teal a pair of Shoveler a few Mallard, 2 Moorhen, 14 Black-headed Gulls and 3 Mute Swans were on the marsh the Mute Swans were way to the right of the hide.As they were upending I could see one had a blue Darvic ring, they had a fly around and landed way to the left of the hide, so I still could not read the Darvic ring number. If they are showing well in front of the hide I would be pleased if some one could record the ring number for me. In the field to the right of the marsh was a flock of 500 + Woodpigeons and a few Stockdoves. The female Stonechat was still in front of the hide on the wire fence at the back of the marsh. A Buzzard was on the fence and in the trees at the back of the marsh. A flock of 100+ Lapwings and a large flock of probably 1000 Corvids were to the left of the marsh in the area of the standing maize field. On the feeders were 12 Greenfinch, 2 Goldfinch, 2 Great Tits, 2 Blue Tits and 4 Chaffinches were on the ground.

Also recorded Grey Heron, and Kestrel.

Pete Jordan

Pete recorded the female Hen Harrier at the Buttery.

SATURDAY.

A fairly busy morning in the hide but most visitors had left by the time I arrived.

Tony Seagrave

Arrived early and had done usual thourough job of checking the farm. Tony normally walks a good sectin of the farm and then visits the hide so tends a get a good number of specieis on each visit.

Here is his list for the morning;

Cormorant, Teal, Mallard, 581 Lapwing (counted), Buzzard, Little Owl, Kestrel, Yellowhammer, 2 Meadow Pipit, Skylark, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Chaffinch, Woodpigeon,

Jon Lloyd

Very pleasant morning that began to cloud over by 12.00pm

Well I know its not that exciting but at last 1 Coot! This is the first I have seen this winter though there have been records of two birds in the autumn and 1 in January. This is nothing like the numbers we had last year and I was beginning to think that the other observers had been imagining it. But there it was, out on the water feeding vigourously and diving for food every now and then. Stonechat was around but kept low and the Water Rail called. A female Sparrowhawk flew through from the left, went to ground out of sight. Three Lapwings settled amongst the Teal on the water edge. Single Cormorants flying in the distance.

Large numbers of Fieldfare (250) and Starlings (100) on the return walk from the hide and the Little Owl in its usual spot.