Sunday February 2

This very mild winter got even milder today, but the benign conditions seemed unlikely to benefit our chances of finding anything good.

We picked our way through the marsh, flushing 10 Jack Snipe and five Common Snipe, none of which was spotted on the ground. Its the first time we've counted more Jacks than Commons. The flash field was disappointing, 12 Teal flew to a marshy area we cannot see, and we were just left with a few Mallard and 80 Greylag Geese to look at. A "hueet "call from the hedgerow may have been a Chiffchaff, but we didn't see it and decided to leave it as unconfirmed.

A Cormorant flew over, but I seem to have recorded one here already this year. We reached the raptor watch point and discovered a flock of 180 Black-headed Gulls on a distant ploughed field. I had at least remembered to bring my scope, but was unable to find any other species of gull with them.

Back at the cars we glimpsed 80 or so Redwings, and saw a party of 19 Lapwings, before counting 23 Meadow Pipits.

Meadow Pipit

One of them was bathing in the slurry/water next to the manure heap. Delightful.