February 27th 2008

Morning spent watching garden feeders and mending a picture knocked off the wall by last night’s earthquake in Lincolnshire. Adult male and female Brambling, Magpie 3, Jackdaw 2, Wood pigeon 7, Collared Dove, House Sparrow 2 and my first Reed Bunting of the year. Visited Draycote in the afternoon via the half way lane entrance and had 20+ Redwing and a Brambling going over and the Lesser Scaup male was under the willows in grays barn, toft bay with Tufted Duck and Pochard 40+ along with Ringed Plover and Chiffchaff. Farborough bank had 25+ Meadow Pipits. Was joined by Tim Marlow and two guys from Leicestershire to do the roost and though the wind died down they were distance but we still managed two first winter Glaucous Gulls and a very white first winter Iceland Gull. This is a new bird and that makes at least 4 Iceland’s we have had this winter including the Kumleins Gull and along with at least 5 Glaucous Gulls its becoming one of our best years for white winged gulls. Black-headed Gulls seemed to favor the east side of reservoir and were too distant to look for Meds. Common Quaker in moth trap last night.

Richard