Thursday 12 February 2009

February 12th 2009

Cracking day on planet richard if you were willing to do a bit of dodging and a diving on the black ice after another cold night. Out early looking for the southam Rd owls finding 2 Short-eared and a Barn just after first light before spending five an half hours giving Draycote Water a real going over. The Red-necked Grebe was off farborough bank along with 2 Great-northern Divers and the third was off draycote bank along with the Shag. Two Bewick's Swans made a brief re-fueling stop before leaving east and there were a lot more snipe around with Bob Hazel and me counting over 50 Common Snipe in the fields below farborough bank and earlier 2 Jack Snipe were in toft bay. A few larger gulls were still loafing around with a first winter and the streaky headed adult Yellow-legged Gull plus adult winter Med Gull. Duck and grebe numbers are well down. Also seen were 16 Golden Plover, Buzzard, Sparrowhawk, Meadow Pipit, Kestrel seen catching a vole in country park, Blackbird with an all white tail and 21 Goosander. Joined by Bob Duckhouse we had many Fieldfare and Redwing get up from the fields next to toft bay but we could not find what flushed them. Had a choice after leaving pond - food or owls so naturally I chose the owls and went in to the valley but could not add to this morning tally and only found a Raven. By the time I got home it started snowing again.

Richard

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