Winter Spring Winter Spring....

0915 Overcast brightening later SW - WSW F2 gusting F4

After the brief respite of two sunny days last week.....and the return of the snow...of which there is still some hanging around along the ditch edges.....

....not great pics im afraid, had to use my phone, I keep forgetting to take my camera....

Setting off in the cool breeze with House Sparrows and Dunnocks providing encouragement, Woodpigeon and Collared Dove were added immediately with a Song Thrush singing just behind the hedgerow by the bridge (at the entrance to Moat Farm).
Blackbirds were alarming and Chaffinches were singing heartily.  The usual Starlings were hanging around the houses though there were plenty more to see later on.  A Robin sang and a Pied Wagtail swung round in mid-air to greet me at the beginning of the orchard as a Crow lolled across in the distance.
A small flock of Fieldfare appeared and dived in to the orchard only to appear a minute later, very mobile, which was soon to prove the feature of these flocks.
A Goldcrest and Black Headed Gull appeared near the house.  From here on it was pretty quiet till I reached the northern side of the orchard where a Jackdaw and a Wren called, closely followed by Goldfinch and Great Tit.  There was a couple of flocks of Fieldfares and Starlings in and out of the orchard, though no Redwings present anywhere to be found.
The usual large flock of Corvids was missing in the field and never really appeared, though a small flock of around 30-40 birds were present on my return this was nothing like the numbers I have become used to.
I set off across the field toward the gravel pits as the longest shower of rain decided this would be a good point at which to arrive.  Funnily enough once I reached the far side it ceased.
Across the fields several Skylark sang from the ground and in the air despite the rain and a Green Woodpecker called in the distance.
At the pits - Coot 46, Tufted Duck 74, Great Crested Grebe 9, Little Grebe 3, Mute Swan 3, Black Headed Gull 50+ (reasonably mobile so hard to make a full count from pit to pit), Cormorant 16, Lesser Black Backed Gull 2, Kingfisher 1, Reed Bunting, Gadwall 9, Snipe 1, Shoveller 10, Goldeneye 1, Heron 1, Mallard 4.

Whilst I was at the pits Blue Tit was found along with todays star bird - Chiffchaff.  A Great Spotted Woodpecker knocked and then appeared briefly.  A Helicopter swung by and alarmed a number of birds which produced Jay and Bullfinch.  A good number of Fieldfares were flying across the pits along with more Starlings though again no Redwing could be found.
I disturbed a Green Sandpiper feeding around a couple of large puddles.
On the return journey I finally found a couple of Magpies before setting off across the fields.  At the far side a Kestrel swept out of the trees and skittered a couple of feet from the ground.
Return to the car by 11.30.