Friday 18 December 2009

18th December 2009

From early morning to late evening, I was out walking around Earlswood and surrounding areas in this cold weather we're having - yes, I must be mad! The lakes weren't too bad bird-wise, with a Teal, 2 Shovelers and 9 Tufted Ducks at Terry's Pool; and 2 Lesser Redpolls, 2 Siskins and 26 Goldfinches at Engine Pool. Returning to Terry's Pool later during the morning, 3 Goosanders had appeared, plus watched a Song Thrush walloping a snail's shell against stones then gobble it up, and after the bird flew off I inspected the "anvil" and saw there was a second snail shell there - someone was hungry! In New Fallings Coppice, saw 2 Marsh Tits and 3 (possibly 4) Treecreepers together. At Forshaw Heath, saw 3 Meadow Pipits, 2 Jays and a few Fieldfares and Redwings in a couple of horse pastures; and much later in the day saw 20 Golden Plovers fly over the arable field in-between Poolhead Lane and the M42 (my first confirmed sighting over Warwickshire soil). Finally, I returned to Terry's Pool for the third time today and, although it was rather dark by then, saw a swan which I'm pretty sure was a Mute Swan.
M.P. Griffiths

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