Sunday, 7 February 2016

7th February

A circuit from Ainderby through Langlands, along the river and back home this morning totting up a respectable 52 species. Despite the cold, Spring definitely felt in the air with a dozen Skylarks singing, woodpeckers drumming...


And the first Oystercatcher on the river, almost a fortnight earlier than last year.


I was pondering the lack of birds of prey sightings when a Peregrine launched itself from a riverside tree. It did an effortless turn and then powered back around the bend sending the local Rooks into a frenzy. I assume this is the bird which has been seen intermittently along the river this winter. Unfortunately I only managed one distant shot….


As I walked up towards the village a cracking male Merlin drifted in and then powered low over the houses and away towards Thrintoft. This is one of only a handful of sightings in the parish and a bird I didn’t see last year. This is possibly the bird reported in their garden by a villager earlier this year.

Other sightings included six Goosander, Great Black-backed Gull, two pairs of Grey Partridge, Grey Wagtail and a flock of 24 Lesser Redpoll in what has been a really good winter for the species (but I still haven’t seen a Linnet this year!)


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