March 15th 2012

After yesterdays disappointing visit in murky conditions only producing 2 Treecreeper, Great-spotted Woodpecker and 30 Meadow Pipit I did not expect much improvement in the weather this morning but it was still a kick in the teeth to wake up to thick freezing fog.
Dave and I trawled the valley waiting for the pond to open managing 3 Tree Sparrow before walking out to toft shallows and back with visibility down to 50 yards. We spent 15 minutes staring in to the gloom near the hide where a Curlew was constantly calling but could not see it on the deck and only managed poor flight views when it took off and again later when it flew over farborough bank after circling the reservoir calling. Only other birds of note were a Little Ringed Plover flying along farborough bank and a Willow Tit along the entrance road opposite the new car park.
After breakfast we searched Napton on the Hill but with the visibility still poor and a lot colder being higher up we could only find Coal Tit, 2 Goldcrest and Nuthatch though there were plenty of pairs of Blue and Great Tit doing what comes naturally.

Richard