Thursday January 18 - Earlswood

 After a sharp overnight frost I decided to visit the Earlswood area hoping to at least add a few waterbirds to my year-list. But there had to be an element of roaming about the day, so I drove down Poolhead Road and began with a short walk to Earlswood STW.

I've noticed that several of the squares on my to do list are alongside the M42 and M40. Its rumbling presence really puts me off. The short walk to Earlswood STW ran alongside the M42, so I was deafened by traffic. This could be the excuse I need to admit that I didn't see very much there. A party of 10 Pied Wagtails and a Grey Wagtail within the sewage works compound were my only reward.

As soon as I reached the lakes I realised I had miscalculated. The cold snap was the reason for my visit, but last night it must have been too cold and the lakes were almost completely frozen over. All the action was on Engine Pool. There were a couple of small breaks in the ice there, and its surface was swathed in the largest number of Mallard I have ever seen there. I counted 405 before something spooked them and several flew off.

The southernmost artificial island supported 10 Common Snipe although I've noticed they have had counts four times as large recently. They seem to roost there, which is probably why only a small number were left (and most of them flew off while I was there).

Common Snipe

There were some easy year-ticks on offer because there was just enough clear water to support three Great Crested Grebes and 12 Goosanders, along with reasonable numbers of Coot and Tufted Ducks. The drake Wigeon was also present, although it was among the Mallards standing on the ice.

A gap in the ice

There were plenty of Black-headed Gulls and a handful of Herring and Lesser Black-backed Gulls on the ice, but just as I decided I was too cold to remain, the third calendar year Yellow-legged Gull which has been here for much of the winter, flew in and landed.

Yellow-legged Gull

I later discovered that I might have seen a couple of Common Gulls if I'd toughed it out a bit longer.