PM site visit

Hi
No usual Friday site visit this week so managed a visit today, Thursday.  ENE f1-2 gusting to 4 in the open.  Overcast all the time.
Arrived at site 1320.  It was nice to not have to wear wellies, though this was more because I had left them at home rather than a deliberate action.  Luckily the cold dry-ish weather meant conditions under foot were quite good with little mud.
House Sparrow, Starling, Collared Dover and Woodpigeon all heard and seen whilst I was lacing up my boots.  Jackdaw soon followed as I crossed the bridge to the entrance to Moat Farm.
My first surprise at this point was the fact that there has been some grubbing out of shrubs going on, though there appears to be little reason why.  On the left as you enter the farm (hmmm...farm....farmer...guardian of the countryside...hmmm) there is a bank that sweeps down to a very narrow piece of field that cant really be used for anything and in fact the planting of apple trees stops some distance before this small section.  It is only 40 feet from the drive to the hedgerow/fence of the railway line anyway.  But they have grubbed out the small amount of shrubs, bushes etc. depriving birds of potential nesting sites and food places.  I will certainly watch this area over the next few weeks to see what happens here or if the boss has simply required work for his eastern european workforce to get on with.
Anyway, I digress, onward.  25 Black Headed Gulls flew over here and a Robin was singing in the row of trees opposite this piece of devastation.  A Great Tit called from the far side of the house that greets you a little way in to the orchard.  There was also a Goldcrest here.  I heard two Fieldfares in the orchard itself though it was certainly deserted apart from the north side, as usual, where many Corvids can be found, mostly Jackdaws.
A Crow caw-d and a couple of Magpies seemingly struggled by.
I found a Rook out in the field where the flock of Corvids was spread out over a huge area, probably totalling 250+.  At the far eastern side of the open fields which you cross to get to the pits, a large group of Corvids eventually gathered along with some Fieldfares and Starlings.  The Fieldfare/Starling group were leaving the trees and heading to the north side of the fields to feed, where I found approximately 200 birds though no Redwing.
A Green Woodpecker called at the pits in the distance and a Skylark or two attempted to sing but seemed to give up in the cold breeze. One Great Spotted Woodpecker chipped away whilst another knocked out some territory.
Arriving at the pits themselves there was a flock of around 30 Meadow Pipits feeding near the bridge that leads to the pits themselves.  Several Blackbirds were anxious here and I later found a group of 7, mostly females, along the pit scrub.
47 Coot, 41 Tufted Duck, 3 Little Grebe, 5 Pochard, 7 Great Crested Grebe, 23 Gadwall, 3 Mute Swan, 22 Cormorant, 1 Moorhen, 2 Goldeneye, 3 Little Egret, 20 Black Headed Gulls on the pits though a group of 60-70 had recently flown over, 4 Mallard, 2 Grey Heron, 1, probably 2, Water Rail, 1 Great Black Back Gull, 16 Teal, 12 Shoveller.
Also at the pit was a Jay, Song Thrush, several Bullfinch, a Treecreeper and a few Herring Gull over.
The return journey found Blue Tit, Goldfinch and Greenfinch.
Back at the car by 1600.