Sunday 17 January 2016

16th January

A walk along the river today. A Barn Owl was sitting out in broad daylight in its favoured field just north of Morton bridge.


I hoped that the freezing conditions would have brought wildfowl on to the river but in fact it was very quiet on the water with only a dozen Mallard and a single Goosander. I did see 22 Cormorants, including one group of 17 birds, the largest single flock I have seen in the parish.

Two Little Egrets continued the winter records of this species and along Potter Lane...


...there were 22 Meadow Pipits and a distant Fox in a beet field here.


Finally, a Grey Wagtail was again at Morton sewage works.


5 comments:

  1. I suspect you're already well ahead of me, Nick... today I hit 61 species and 63 pts. Remarkably, I've found the time to get out AND write up my findings here: http://thrintoftpatch.blogspot.co.uk

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  2. Really interesting read Chris. Is the oxbow the one on Poole's Waste? Don't include too many good photos you'll just show mine up! As to Patchwork 2016 I'm only just ahead with 63 species/64 points.

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  3. Thank you. I have no idea where Poole's waste is! It's about a 10 minute walk north of Thrintoft towards Langton; it runs about 5 yds from the road on its eastern side. There look to be 2 badger setts there too so I'm probably going to spend hours there each week this year! Sounds like you're missing some easy ones while I'm going to have to scour for every tick now. I've seen those 2 whoopers three times today, randomly flying around.

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  4. Just before the road bends sharply round to the right? Hope the Whoopers make it down to my patch as otherwise it's pot luck spotting them moving north in March.....

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  5. That's the one. Re the Whoopers; there's always next winter!

    PS. I see that you just won the inland North league on relative performance. Nice one!

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