Sunday December 11

Following a very wet day yesterday Dave and I were back on the patch hoping for a change in fortune.

A Stonechat was present at Netherstead, about 400 Woodpigeons still gorge themselves in the stubble field, while 57 Teal and 50 Mallard continue to dabble at the flash and pool. A Green Sandpiper was the first this month, while the Tawny Owl peeped out of its hole, the lack of leaves allowing it to be seen for the first time since spring.

A singing Robin

What we needed was a plan, and we had one. The marsh in front of the pool was too dry in October, but now it is nice and damp. Time for a kick around to see whether there were any Snipe in there. As it turned out we flushed 36 Common Snipe and seven Jack Snipe, the first of the latter since last winter.

This success led us to try our luck in Stapenhill Wood, but that produced only a calling Siskin, and four Lesser Redpolls.

Lesser Redpoll

The only other thing to report is a small trickle of gulls over, totalling one Black-headed, 18 Lesser Black-backed, and three Herring Gulls.

A final year tick looks a remote possibility at the moment.