18-12-10, Whitemoor Haye.

Out at first light and things were a bit dull at the start but I perservered. A bit of a mistake really cause as I set off it started to snow and the further I went, the more it snowed. Birds noted were Blue Tit, Blackbird, Dunnock, Carrion Crow, Skylark about 40 were feeding in a field, Mallard, Starling, Wood Pigeon, Canada Geese, Black-headed Gull, Tree Sparrow, Jackdaw, Mute Swan, Wren, Chaffinch, Magpie, Pheasant, Bullfinch, Song Thrush, Buzzard and a couple of Tufted Ducks on the small bit of open water on the quarry pool. A waste of time really with the snow coming down but there you go, home for a nice fry up fro brecky now.

18-12-10, Branston GP.

After a nice breakfast and waiting untill the snow had stopped (and also a trip to FCradley to top the bird feeders up in the nature reserve) I decided to tackle the pits near Barton. Birds noted were Redwing, Robin, Buzzard, Blackbird, Magpie, Wood Pigeon, Fieldfare, Carrion Crow, Snipe, Pheasant, Redshank, Coot, Gadwall, Pochard, Black-headed Gull, Tufted Duck, Buzzard, Wigeon, Mute Swan, Canada Geese, Lapwing, Mallard, Greylag Geese, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Dunnock, Starling, Jackdaw, Litte Grebe, Chaffinch, Blue Tit, Sparrowhawk, Marsh Tit, Kestrel, Long-tailed Tit and a Greenfinch. The main pool was three quarters frozen but there were loads of ducks in the space available but the sandy pool and Long-tailed Duck pool were 100% frozen and 0% birdy. A good couple of houre though.

18-12-10, Willington GP.

The last couple of days has seen a few decent birds turn up at this site so what a great place to spend the rest of the afternoon. In species num,bers, today did not return a lot but I did see some nice birds. Birds noted were Blackbird, Redwing, Kestrel, Blue Tit, Reed Bunting, Dunnock, Robin, Black-headed Gull, Cormorant, Magpie, Moorhen, lesser Black-backed Gull, Teal, Gadwall, Common Gull, Mallard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Wood Pigeon, Great Bittern - in fact I saw two today and a third was seen a few minutes after I left, Mute Swan, Wren, Wigeon, Pochard, Fieldfare, Great Tit and a cracking Long-eared Owl (year and site tick). Yep, the pair of Bitterns and the LEO were the best bird today by far but at all sites there were great numnbers of Redwings and Fieldfares. A good day and tomorrow its patch work as it is the WeBS count day.