Roost Day

...and WeBS day too....so not surprised to see the forecast set up for rain around 8am onward....even more so as I couldnt get out yesterday.....

0715 - 0915 overcast SW f2-4 cool to cold

Well, we have almost reached the zenith of winter....days will soon be drawing out.  In the meantime though the light is getting lazier....it idled over the horizon and mostly, for a while, refused to make much advance.  So fifteen minutes in the dark and gloom...till I coudlnt stand it any more and made for the noise of the Blackbird at 0715.

So it happened I went on my way and was provided with the fine spectacle of two species leaving their roosts....on my way along to the quarry I had put up a couple of Fieldfare, thinking that they had decided to roost there, just the two of them.  When I had crossed the quarry and was progressing toward the first gravel pit it became more obvious that many Fieldfare, along with a number of Redwing, had decided to roost around a couple of the pits.

First a few popped out and rattled or whistled away....then more...then a large group left...more followed from various places around the two pits that I was sandwiched between.  In total I would say there were at least 350, probably more, Fieldfare and 150+ Redwing.  The totals were probably larger than this though and they all headed SW to the orchard I sometimes walk across to the pits.

I spotted a Barn Owl at the other end of the larger of the two pits, so I decided to wander on to see if I could get better views.  Whilst wandering along the side of the pit large groups of Woodpigeon flew over...then more and more....and more...this continued for a few minutes and I have estimated the total at a very conservative (with a small c) 500...but it was more likely around the 1000+ mark.

So, what else was around the pits today:

Robin, Wren, Bullfinch, Magpei, Jackdaw, Blue Tit, Green Woodpecker, Merlin (the first I have seen at the pits), Jay, Crow, Chaffinch, Skylark, Kestrel, Great Tit, Goldfinch, Song Thrush.

On the pits:

2 Little Egret, 54 Mallard, 42 Tufted Duck, 213 Greylag Geese, 25 Black Headed Gull, 49 Gadwall, 26 Shoveler, 2 Moorhen, 3 Great Crested Grebe, 2 Little Grebe, 23 Pochard, 17 Teal, 15 Cormorant, 4 Mute Swan, 1 Water Rail, 1 Grey Heron.

....and the rain didnt turn up at 8am after all....nice....