Monday, 4 January 2010

Flocks of stuff

The cold weather is providing a few spectacles of flocks which are sometimes hard to find. Over the weekend :-

On Dale Airodrome between 400 and 500 Snipe off the burnt section near the pond - presumably the dark earth provides a bit of warmth early (little frost evident here) whle the wet areas are frozen. Very spectacular.

Also in the same area around 200 Redwing and a handful of Song Thrush and Fieldfare.

Flocks of Lapwing in almost every field - mostly around 50 birds per field but over 200 on south facing fields - must be a thousand or more on the headland. Another 300 or so around Rickeston Mill/ Sandy Haven area.

In the farm field just on the Gann side of Mullock (behind the conifers) the farmer has left a crop go to seed and at least 500 Chaffinches are feeding there. Didn't see any Brambling but did catch one in the garden. Worth a look though.