SUNDAY.
Jon Lloyd
It tried to hide but didn't fool me!! Yes the illusive Coot remains for another day.
Those who know me, will tell you, that I have a very soft spot for Coot and have long been heard wittering on about the lack of Coot at Wall farm this year.
Well in the latter part of the day, sat in Wall Farm hide, I pass the remaining hour of daylight with Richard and Shirley Dodwell. They confirm that things have not been as usual Coot wise at Venus pool.
Ah Ha! so that confirms that these Coot shortages may not be a Wall Farm only phenomenon.
We
want to hear from other birders about Coot numbers this year so
get e-mailing.This morning the log book reported
male Pintail and Wigeon but if they were about in the afternoon
they certainly had their heads well down.
The Stonechat on the other
hand took advantage of the warm almost spring like afternoon bobbed up
on the barbed wire to the left of the hide to be soon spotted by the rather
eagle eyed Shirley, who went on during our joint stay to spot other things
that neither Richard or I had seen. The hare in the field of very green
grass with only the tips of ears protruding was an example. It wont be
long before they are boxing again.
I zoomed round the Weald Moors today before visiting the farm and found Tony Seagrave on Crudginton Moor. Here we located a female Bullfinch (by call first), a Greater Spotted Woodpecker, Buzzard, Kestrel, Goldfinch and Willow Tit.
There were some large groups of Fieldfares and 19 Lesser Black Backed Gulls and a Black Headed Gull flew over.
The only other interesting observation here was the 6 Magpie and 1 Kestrel game. I am not sure what was going on but the Magpies dropped from a barbed wire fence into a small tree lined paddock and occasionally up onto a fence post. Every time they landed on the post the Kestrel took offense and attempted to land on them (sharp end first!!) They took off and landed back in the field. This kept both species amused for some time before eventually the Kestrel got tired of the game and disappeared over the wood in the background.
Next stop the Buttery to the south of Wall Farm to check out the Swans.
Thirty
Mute Swans were settled down in the lush rye grass and on my arrival
got to their feet and started grazing. It was amongst this group last
year that the odd goose and swan appeared including a single Pink Foot
and two Greylags.
Today the only thing to appear was Martin Grant rather pleased that he had managed through persistence and hard work to ID several Numbers on the Swan legs for his records.
From here to the hide which was full. I was quizzed on arrival about a possible Hen Harrier siting but suspect a female Sparrowhawk had been doing a very good impersonation.
There were no other records in the book this week for Hen Harrier and I suspect it has departed. Despite careful scrutiny I din,t locate the female or the male on any other part of the Weald Moors today.
MONDAY - Martin Grant
News from Wall Farm Monday 27th January.
When
I arrived 2 Coot were in front of the hide also the pair of Mute
Swans the Cob was ringed but I still could not get the number. The
pen kept showing her un-ringed legs. On the water were 76 Black-headed
Gulls and even more to the left of the marsh where they were following
the plough, also in this field a large flock of around 500 Lapwings
and 800 Starlings. A Peregrine put them up and flew off to the
north. Shortly after, I noticed an adult Peregrine on the ground
to the back of the marsh between the two tall Alders. I couldn't be
sure if it was a second Peregrine or the same one I had seen
earlier. 2 Lesser black-backed Gulls flew over the marsh and
also 3 flocks of 60 + 60 + 200 Lapwings they settled in the ploughed
field with the other Lapwings and Black-headed Gulls.
A Buzzard was in the Alders and on the fence at the back of the
marsh and a Kestrel on the telegraph wires behind the hide. The
feeders attracted 20+ Greenfinches, 2 Blue Tits and a
male Chaffinch that was also on the feeders.
TUESDAY -
WEDNESDAY -
THURSDAY -
SATURDAY.