Sunday January 13

It feels like a very long time since my last visit. A week feels interminable when you are leaving for work in the half light of dawn, and returning well after dark. Anyway, by 08.15 I was starting the day at Netherstead Farm, seeing a female Brambling with about 20 Chaffinches, and my first year-tick, a distant Cormorant, before Dave joined me. We quickly added a fly-by Grey Heron as my second year-tick. Seven Pied Wagtails dropped in unexpectedly, before heading off to the south.

A lot of Rooks had been flying over, presumably from a roost, and I counted 50 by 09.00, and we then found a flock of 50 Skylarks in the stubble. I felt there were quite a few winter Thrushes about, and the first of these were in the hedge on the northern edge of the stubble-field. Gradual accumulation through the day got me to totals of 80 Fieldfares and 30 Redwings.

The day's highlight came shortly after we were joined by John Yardley. A first-winter Common Gull flew north, and we later saw it again with a flock of 90 Black-headed Gulls just beyond Stapenhill Wood. Not much of a highlight you might think, but the species is fairly scarce, though annual, on the patch. At least 33 Teal were feeding on the partially frozen pool, but we flushed them to the flash, where we counted 35, plus about 80 Lapwings.

Back at Netherstead Farm we spotted my fourth year-tick of the day, a Marsh Tit. This species breeds in small numbers in the surrounding woodland, but is sometimes attracted to the feeders around the farm.

Marsh Tit

We then headed for the south end, hopeful of finding a Brambling for Dave. In fact it was to prove a disappointment, as most of the finches were Chaffinches, and there were no Linnets at all. However, the one compensation was my final year-tick of the day, as two Lesser Black-backed Gulls flew north.