November 23rd 2008

Were you one of those who decided you would be better off staying by the fire or curled up under the duvet this morning – wimp.
A clear frosty night with a light flurry of snow turning to freezing rain then become a heavy downpour, and guess who was out in it. Pretty obvious – me – plodding away and despite the many discomforts (and there were loads) ended up with two year ticks for my Draycote Water list so now home and cosy and all my gear in the tumble dryer.
All five Great-northern Divers were on show with two off farborough bank, one in rainbow corner, one by the valve tower and one in dunn’s bay and the Red-necked Grebe was two hundred yards off farborough spit with the Common Scoter female still in toft bay. The first draycote year tick was a very bedraggled Long-eared Owl being mobbed by Magpies as it tried to roost in hedgerow near valve tower and the second year tick was a Corn Bunting feeding with 44 Yellowhammers between rainbow corner and inlet. The bunting was a good find as they are declining in this area and the Yellowhammer flock is a good number for here these days as it also another species declining.
Good birds kept coming in with two Dark-bellied Brent Geese arriving just as the skies cleared and the sun came out but unfortunately it was bad timing and the sailing boats appeared and flushed them off after only a 15 minute rest. Some unknown observer had a Grey Plover and Peregrine and Sparrowhawk hunted for food over the country park which had a female Brambling and Willow Tit. Toft shallows had 20+ Siskin, 2 Lesser Redpoll and 2 female Brambling and on the other side of the M45 there were 2 more Lesser Redpoll with a party of Goldfinch and as another shower arrived I decided to call it a day. Other birds seen were 3 Green Woodpecker, 2 Little Owl, Water Rail, 38 Pochard, 2 male Shoveler, Ruddy Duck male, 19 Goosander, 18 Goldeneye, 8 Gadwall, Grey Wagtail and 17 Long-tailed Tits with 5 Goldcrest.
Patch News: My little sis (she who must be obeyed) had a Barn Owl near the gibbet hill roundabout (A426/A5) this morning (use to drag um out of town and string um up in the good old days) and John Judge’s dog flushed a Woodcock near Long Lawford.

Richard