December 5th 2010

A wander round the Grandborough valley in thick fog produced calling Tawny Owl and Raven this morning with Dave.
We decided that we needed a walk to build an appetite for breakfast and though visibility was down to 30 yards at Draycote Water we managed the male Smew, 40 Gadwall and 20 Goosander on our jaunt out to toft shallows. After breakfast and with no sign of the fog lifting we headed south to Wormleighton where it was bright, sunny and full of birds. Here we managed 4 Marsh Tit, 2 Willow Tit, 10 Tree Sparrow, 3 Buzzard, Sparrowhawk, 2 Brambling, Great-spotted Woodpecker, 500 Fieldfare and 300 Redwing. Biggest surprise of the day here was a Red Admiral butterfly watched crossing the snow covered fields.
On the way back we had a look at Napton on the Hill with Buzzard, Nuthatch and a Chiffchaff kindly shown to us while Napton Reservoir had a Water Rail.
Unfortunately the messages and phone calls of 9 Waxwings in Rugby came just as I was being served mince pie and ice cream for the third time.

Richard