Briefly back on patch

A couple of new birds for the year were added during the snowy period, a BRAMBLING (57) flew west on the 21st as did the first GREY HERON (58)of the year.There were no more visits for a while until yesterday (27th), when I managed a couple of hours out an about, almost the first bird seen was a COMMON BUZZARD as I drove up to the car park, generally it was fairly quiet around the car park as the wind blew. A KESTREL was sat on a hedge and 2 HERRING GULLS flew north. A reasonable amount of thrushes were in the field near the Moat probably 100 FIELDFARE and 20 REDWING. Due to the wind I headed into the wood, which was really pleasant. I soon came across a feeding flock of birds and stayed with them for a while, the flock contained, a single GOLDCREST, 2 MARSH TITS, 10 BLUE TITS, 3 GREAT TITS, 8-10 LONG TAILED TITS, GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER, TREECREEPER, CHAFFINCH, COAL TIT(59) and NUTHATCH also a JAY was mooching around in the background, I tried a few pics but struggled to get anything worthwhile. Elsewhere a MISTLE THRUSH was in Park Field where a LESSER BLACK BACKED GULL (60) flew north. A SPARROWHAWK drifted over heading towards Hempsted Forest and I heard just 1 SISKIN all morning.

This morning I popped in to the patch for half an hour before work, just as it got light, 11 MEADOW PIPIT flew over the car park a PIED WAGTAIL was down in the fields as I watched across the valley. Standing for about 10 minutes a few COMMON GULLS appeared flying east, I counted 159 in the 10 minutes. Another count which was pleasing was the 6 SONG THRUSHES together feeding with a couple BLACKBIRDS and 3 REDWINGS, certainly the most Song Thrushes I've seen in one place here for a while. Other birds this morning were SPARROWHAWK, GOLDFINCH, FIELDFARE (100+), NUTHATCH and a handful of YELLOWHAMMERS.

Bec picked up the camera while I was at work and took this and the next pic of a Fieldfare

Fieldfare by Bec

House Sparrow

House Sparrow