Sunday 3 January 2021

New Years Day Twitch 2021 - Part I

For the sake of brevity, most images have been lifted from the archive!

Not a single peep throughout the night on several visits to a -5°C doorstep (which made it the coldest night of the year) but the occasional glimpses of a

 95% waning gibbous Moon was something of a bonus
followed by a White Out (frost only) at dawn.

The first signs of any kind of birdlife came as late as 06:32 when at least one, but maybe 2, 

TAWNY OWL

started knocking it out but maybe not this juvenile. Remembering an addition to the list may include eith a sight or sound record there were a few vocalists to get the show on the road including:-

BLACKBIRD
HERRING GULL
WOOD PIGEON

thankfully there was a reprise from the local

CETTI'S WARBLER

while the 'chacking calls' from the Ash Trees at the stables, which have become a roost, indicated

FIELDFARE

Apart from the Owl and the Warbler all others were 'seen' subsequently but first on view was a

ROBIN
followed in quick successionby
CARRION CROW
DUNNOCK
and
MAGPIE
but then followed by something not even thought of let alone expected.........
On the near ice covered surface of the main pond there was but one small break in the freeze occupied by c2 pairs of 'fighting'? 'displaying'?
MOORHEN
A bit of nonsense to kick a New Year off is harmless enough but the conditions
got us to thinking that these might just be the only Waterfowl of the day.
Bringing up the rearguard, before heading for the ploughed fields to the west, came
WREN
a small party of vocal
GREENFINCH
with a much larger flock of
STARLINGs
to close the first chapter of what should be 3 instalments!