What Did I Miss?

Well turns out the only thing I did miss was a nice warm office. Only joking, but the excitement of last weeks trip to Anton Lakes wasn't duplicated today, However lots of Birds showing up, Fieldfare galore with smallish flocks seen all of the way around the site. A lone pair of Bullfinches hid amongst the branches, but neither moving near enough to the outsides of the bush for a decent photograph.

With the first proper frost this morning (Icy covering on the roads) all of the Native birds seem to have multiplied in numbers, so I'm reckoning some migrant Blue Tit, Great Tit, Blackbirds & Wrens have joined the winter population.

Todays chorus of Robin song pretty much drowned out the sound of anything else, and it seemed every
15-20 yards brought forth 2 or 3 battling for territories throughout my lunchtime walk, does mean however that they are a little bit easier to photograph.

Robins

Quite a few Jenny Wrens showing up, along with a definite increase in Chaffinch & Goldfinch, already in mixed flocks. Sadly no Kingfishers around the lakes or the ajoining waterways today, although a rather mottled Buzzard did fly off from his perch out in the water meadow as I walked past.

On the water the story is still pretty much the same, Mute Swans, Canada Geese, Gadwall, Tufted Duck, Little Grebe, Moorhen, Coot, Black Headed Gull & Mallard, although the Mallard numbers definitely seem to have swollen, possibly a lot more 'Wild" birds coming in as they were a lot more flighty than normal.

Mute Swan

The remainder of the walk back to the car brought pretty much the same as the first half, with the addition of 4 Redwing & a lone Greenfinch. Off to Exmoor tomorrow for a change of scenery, not packing the camera however so you'll just have to believe me if I see something exciting.