Rough as a badgers armpit when I woke, must be bubonic plague or black death but wont be sure till the autopsy so a day watching feeders or curled in front of fire feeling wow is thee. Plenty of activity in garden with 8 Chaffinch, 14 Greenfinch, 3 Bullfinch and two Great Tit hogging feeders while the five regular Blackbirds seem intent on beating anything up that lands under them. Willow tit, Coal Tit and male Blackcap all made brief apperances and a lone Cormorant flew west.

Pete Hall sent me this superb shot of Lassie the Lesser Scaup taken yesterday at Draycote Water, certainly a better looker than when I found it over two months ago.



Recieved info that the Great-northern Diver has not been seen since friday so looks as if pond will be going into one of its lean spell till bad weather or early migration takes off.

Richard