A fairly quiet visit birdwise at North Cave yesterday. The sun was shining when I arrived, but the cloud soon blocked it out. Nothing much to see from the East Hide. Lots of teal from the Turret hide but I could not easily see a green winged one. A few lapwings were having a rest.
No small birds as I walked past the Maize field. It was nice to see my first siskins of the winter feeding in the alder trees. They were very mobile but I managed a shot in the poor light conditions.
Lots of teal and wigeon in front of Crossland hide. The water in front of South hide is quite shallow
I could seethe legs of the female teal.
Lots of gadwall
Not as many greylag geese as I usually see at North Cave
A carrion crow was sat in a tree near the butty van, no doubt hoping for some crumbs etc. As the light was not brilliant I decided to go home via North Duffield Carrs. The last time that I paid a visit here there was no water on the reserve but a lot on Bubwith Ings on the other side of the river. This water has since drained away, so not much water to be seen apart from the scrape and the river itself. When I entered the Geoff Smith hide I disturbed two wrens who were flying about. I opened a window but they still flew past it so I opened more windows and left so as not to cause them any more distress. As I opened one of the windows I noticed some swans at the far end of the reserve, so I walked to the Garganey hide.
A small group of swans, whooper and mute had found some water and were having a bath, despite the low water level. Starlings were also having a dip before they flew into a nearby tree.
a few years ago there was a murmuration on the Ings, will we get another one this winter?
As I walked back to the car park I saw 3 fieldfares, the first that I have seen this winter.
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