The morning past rather uneventfully, with some attempt to mop up the easier year-ticks missing so far. We walked along the road, vaguely hoping for a second chance with Dave's small woodpecker. Nothing came to pass, apart from a sighting of a Goldcrest, which at the time I hadn't realised we needed for the year, and it took until we were overlooking the pool field before we got the another new bird for the year, a Sparrowhawk which was being harassed by corvids in the far corner of the field.
Dave fancied a kick through the marsh in the hope of recording the Water Rail. After flushing five Snipe and two Jack Snipe we did at least record a genuine arrival in the form of a Coot. We reached the flash field and were disappointed by the dearth of birds, just 32 Mallard, another Coot, a Moorhen, three Grey Herons and four Black-headed Gulls. By hanging around for thirty minutes we did manage to add a fly over Cormorant and a fly through Rook to the year-list. Riveting stuff!
A handful of Herring and Lesser Black-backed Gulls flew over, but by the time we were back at the cars I still hadn't felt the urge to photograph anything.
This posting was saved from being unillustrated when I noticed a Kestrel dismembering a small mammal on a post as I drove back down the track.
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| Kestrel |
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