First guided walk of the year

A great turn out this morning in the mist, 22 people met Pete and I in the car park between 5.30 and 5.45. A few BLACKBIRDS and ROBINS sung as we left headed out around the estate. It was a slowish start unsurprisingly but gradually we added a few bits STOCK DOVE, a calling KINGFISHER, SISKINS flew over and just a couple GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKERS drummed. A little flurry of activity as we left the wood added GOLDCREST and TREECREEPER, also a BUZZARD called from out of the mist. As we left Park Field a sharp-eyed lady picked out a LITTLE OWL that then got mobbed by MISTLE THRUSHES, GREENFINCHES and BLACKBIRDS. A NUTHATCH performed well as it sung from the top of an Oak. By breakfast we had reached around the 40 species mark. After breakfast it was into the fields, SKYLARKS sung almost constantly and a nice male BULLFINCH was seen in one of the hedges. REED BUNTING, YELLOWHAMMER, MEADOW PIPIT and best of all was a flyover MEDITERRANEAN GULL (66) with 2 BLACK HEADED GULLS. Near the end of the walk a MARSH TIT gave good views to just a few of us and a LESSER BLACK BACKED GULL made it 49 species for the walk. After everybody left, while Pete and I chatted briefly by the moat, a KINGFISHER whizzed by. I decided on another look round the wood this produced a very unexpected third goose species of the morning in the form of 150 BRENT GEESE (67) flying NE!! the first I've seen here for some years. I added KESTREL, JAY and BRAMBLING to the list before heading home, ending with 53 species for the morning, very pleasing considering the conditions. Talking to Stephen as I left he had a GOLDEN PLOVER as well this morning.
Thank you to everybody who joined the walk this morning you all made it very enjoyable :-)

No pics today so here is one from Tuesday morning.

Blue Tit