Turd On!!

0630 - 0900 Cool, 90% cloud cover reducing to 10%, SW F3-5

I suppose it is a little early hoping for a Chiffchaff to turn up today...and so I wasnt disappointed when one didnt...!

The crossover point of Winter and Summer birds approaches as a 50 strong flock of Fieldfares presented themselves quite vocally today.  Turd On!!

At home the Dunnocks have been chasing each other round the garden and displaying and so it was the same at the pits today.  Grey Herons seemed to be having an interest in Springtime arriving and there was one pair of particularly fine displaying  Great Crested Grebes.

Todays highlights thought was the Barn Owl hunting then sitting on a post for a while before hopping/flying to the next post and so on along the fence.  A beautiful, charismatic bird.
The other highlight being the male and female Goldeneye in the sunshine, looking rather resplendent with their so different plummages.  The males green head gleamed while the more dapper, I think, female, oozed charm.  Fabulous.

So....around the pits:

Great Tit, Chaffinch, Wren, Song Thrush, Woopigeon, Robin, Blackbird, Crow, Magpie, Feral Pigeon, Green Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Grey Wagtail, Skylark, Reed Bunting, Long Tail Tit, 2 Stock Dove, Roo, Jackdaw, Collared Dove.

On the pits...WeBS day:

11 Mallard, 33 Coot, 5 Grey Heron, 5 Mute Swan, 7 Great Crested Grebe, 2 Little Grebe, 6 Moorhen, 24 Shoveler, 2 Teal, 10 Pochard, 16 Cormorant, 208 Black Headed Gull, 1 Herring Gull, 8 Common Gull, 2 Canada Geese, 11 Greylag Geese, 1 Little Egret, 4 Mandarin, 2 Goldeneye, 2 Lapwing, 81 Tufted Duck.