SUNDAY. Jon Lloyd

It was one of those spring days when everybody came out. Small groups of family cyclists idled up quieter country lanes and walkers strolled along the footpaths and tracks. The sun came up early and stayed out, good enough for a T shirt by mid day. Time to top up the vitamin D!!

The wetlands were busy and this was given away by columns of Starling and Black Headed Gull climbing into the sky chasing some insect feast that had taken advantage of the warm day to hatch and fly onwards and upwards. Up to 50 Gulls chased about and smaller darker Starlings chased between them. Down below the usual Teal and Mallard and two male Shoveler and a female were feeding in the distant pool, probably with their fingers in their ears!! What is it about Gulls anyway. When the Gulls arrive you have to listen harder for other birds. I met Ed who had counted 9 Coot today, not the best record this winter but certainly more encouraging than the pre Xmas count!!.

A single Curlew patroled the airspace above last years nesting site. Skylarks climbed noisley into the high blue sky and cock Yellowhammers chirped from the tops of the hedgerow trees, pausing only to chase each other. A Raven honked in the distance.

There are only a few flowers out on the farm so far. The Snowdrops have been out for some weeks but I dont think these are wild. One of the earliest flowers out in the spring is the lesser Celandine. This plant is in the same family as Buttercup.

I also found some Coltsfoot in flower on the banks of the Strine, another yellow flower.

A found a couple of Grey Partridge again today, nice to see this bird, the slightly more subtled coloured version. A saw a single bird yesterday.

The hawthorn copse had the usual collection of small birds. Starling and Redwings sat amongst the top most branches. I found a pair of Treecreepers, close enough to check for short toes!! A pair of Kingfishers met on the Strine beneath the overhanging branches of something that had given up hanging onto the banks. They greeted with great flourish and then disappeared in opposite directions. I wonder.......

Buzzards everywhere today and plenty of opportunity to see the superb aerial dives so characteristic of Buzzard display. At one point five hung above the wetland, climbing higher than the Starlings and Black Headed Gull.

Also seen: Long Tailed Tit, Marsh Tit, Little Grebe, Moorhen, Song Thrush, Little Owl

TUESDAY - Martin Grant

I made an early visit at 7-30 and was in time to see a Redshank flying low over the Marsh it flew around for 2 minutes calling loudly but was mobbed by the Black-headed Gulls and did not settle on the Marsh.

I returned at mid day for my usual lunch time visit and recorded 56 Black-headed Gulls, 80 Fieldfare with the odd Redwing, 10 Lapwings were on the Marsh it looks as though they may breed there, also 2 singing male Reed bunting. In the top of the hedge down to the hide 2 male Yellowhammer were singing and a Kestrel was on the Telegraph wires and 7 Tree Sparrows were on the feeders. Pete again visited in the evening but was not so lucky as the previous night but he did record a flock of 50+ Linnets and a Green Sandpiper.

WEDNESDAY - Mick Parton 9.45 am

FIND BELOW MY LIST OF BIRDS SEEN, FROM THE HIDE ONLY, AT WALL FARM TODAY.FROST EARLY ALSO MIST.VISIBILITY ON THE MARSH ABOUT 50 METRES. SUN CAME THROUGH AROUND 9.45AM. COOT(9) GREY HERON(1) WREN(1) MUTE SWAN(2) MALLARD(12) TEAL(15/20) LITTLE GREBE(3) REED BUNTING(8/10)(MAINLY MALES) CARRION CROW(4)
STARLING(1) LAPWING(12/15)(ON THE MARSH) COMMON SNIPE(1)(RIGHT SIDE OF THE
HIDE) MAGPIE(1) RED-LEGGED PARTRIDGE(2)(ON THE MARSH) MOORHEN(10) CURLEW (1) (SPENT ALL MORNING TO THE LEFT SIDE OF THE HIDE(80-METRES) FEEDING AND PREENING) CANADA GEESE (2) (ON THE MARSH) B.H.GULL(50/60).

THE FEEDERS, GOLDFINCH(1) CHAFFINCH(6) STOCKDOVE(1) BLACKBIRD(1) BLUE TIT(3)
GREAT TIT(2) GREENFINCH(4) ROBIN(1) COCK PHEASANT(1)

Martin Grant - Midday

I again visited mid day and it was warm and sunny 3 Buzzards were riding the thermals and another flew up to join in the fun. Two pairs of Red Legged Partridge and a Green Woodpecker was heard and a Jay flew out of the wood calling loudly. In the roadside trees approaching the farm around 50 Fieldfares were still to be seen. While on the marsh there were 2 Snipe and 20 Lapwings. On the feeders were a male Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2 Tree Sparrows, a Robin, Greenfinch, Chaffinch, Great Tit, Blue Tit and a pair of Willow Tits were also near by.

Don Smith 18-00 to 18-30.

Don had visited at dusk and the Barn Owl was hunting over the Marsh at

THURSDAY - David Holloway 10 am

Cold and misty on the marsh this morning but was welcomed by the sight of a male Shellduck feeding on the far pool along with 3 male Shoveler and 1 female - will they breed? As well as the noisy and increasingly aggressive BH Gulls also seen: Teal, Mallard, Coot, Moorhen, Dabchick, Heron, Buzzard, Pheasant, Goldfinch and Reed Bunting.

On leaving the hide and approaching Wall Lane, I was surprised to see a Woodcock flying low across the field within yards of me in the direction of the wooded stream by Wall Cottages.

Martin Grant

When I arrived in the hide the Shelduck was still at the rear of the marsh as was 2 male Shoveler also a good few Teal probably at least 20. The Willow Tit was also on the feeders all the time I was in the hide along with several Great Tit and Blue Tits.

FRIDAY -

SATURDAY.

Beautiful day and in what promises to be a very warm first week of Spring. The sun broke through a heavey mist by late morning and chased off the over night frost. Although its not uncommon to get either Green or Great Spotted Woodpecker on a tour of the farm its rather nice when you get both. The Green Woodpecker has that ridiculous laughing call that can be heard some way off and rightly deserved its local name of Yaffle.

Plenty of small birds this morning and great to see so many Yellowhammers, The Hawthorn paddock is favourate spot and so to are the fields on the opposite side of the road to the house. A large group of small birds were set off by a Blackbird. It had discovered a Tawny Owl roosting high in the Ivy covered trunk of an old oak on the banks of the Strine.Lots of birds came to join in the mobbing which saved me a job. I added Goldfinch, Song Thrush and several others to the mornings list. Despite the racket the Tawny slumbered on apparently totally unperturbed by th sudden interest.

In the fields beyond Skylarks climbed into the morning sky and a Meadow called as it flew overhead.

The pools were busy with Black Head Gulls as noisey as ever. Their number were swollen this morning by other birds drawn by the activity of tractor and plough in the field beyond the marsh.

A large flock of Starlings and some Lapwing were also taking the opportunity to feed on anything turned by the plough from depth to surface.

The single Shelduck was sleeping on a rush island surrounded by pairs of Gulls arguing and displaying with little though for the slumbering bird. There are still quite a few Coot here but I think the numbers have peaked and are now falling away again. Four Canadian Geese patrolled the the land to the left of the hide and as far away as possible from the noisey gulls. Male Reed Buntings called from the taller bushes on the marsh and Buzzards sat on the fence posts.

At the Buttery the resident 52 Mute Swans went about their business and a solitary Curlew walked the wetterparts of the meadow near to the road.

The road side hedges turned up a new flower, in flower, this morning.There are several delighful patches of Dog Violets, the white variety.

Pete Jordan - 4 Sand Martins