January 30th 2011

Woodcock in the car headlights along the Flecknoe Road was a good start to the day but little else again in the valley so moved on to the pond.
We did not have time to walk far so checked the reservoir from farborough spit. The male Smew flew in, 11 Gadwall along farborough bank, 10 Goosander and 25 Goldeneye counted while the post roost held adult Yellow-legged Gull and 210 Greater Black-backed Gulls. In the fields below farborough bank the goose zoo held 200 Canada’s including a couple of intermediate size birds, 4 Greylag and 4 Barnacle plus 200 Fieldfare and 50 Redwing. In the distance we picked up 17 Red-legged Partridge and an albino Pheasant. A party of Long-tailed Tits in the country park numbered at least 10.
Met up with Colin at the Long Itchington Diner and hoped his luck would find us something on Napton on the Hill but all we managed was Coal Tit, Bullfinch, 200 Redwing, 30 Fieldfare and 5 Mistle Thrush but the views were cracking so added Gloucestershire, Shropshire and Worcestershire to the year list.
Napton Reservoir was also quiet and partially frozen with 11 Pochard, 200 Common Gull, Buzzard, Bullfinch and a mixed flock of sparrows that contained 12 Tree.

Richard