Sunday March 15

Back to normal today. Dave arrived promptly and we set off on a cold grey day with a light north-easterly to stifle any optimism we might have had about discovering spring migrants.

Our route took us to the road and onwards through the hamlet. A flock of 150 Woodpigeons appeared unexpectedly from behind the wooded hill, but we could not see the cause of their alarm. The cold weather was suppressing bird song and so we had few surprises, although a flock of 25 Chaffinches flew up from a previously birdless field of dead stems on the other side of the road.

A male Stonechat was present in the usual field, which I am tempted to name Chat Meadow. Mute Swan numbers have increased to five with the addition of an immature bird, but at the flashes there are now only 22 Teal present, and just four or five Lapwings. On the other hand it did give us my only year-tick today, as a single Redshank was discovered feeding in the nearest flash.

Redshank (and Lapwing)

Also present were a handful of Geese and two Green Sandpipers. The walk back produced a brief view of a calling Chiffchaff, giving Dave a year-tick, and about four Redwings.

A quick look at the south end produced virtually nothing although a distant accipiter over the woods was clearly a Sparrowhawk.