Boggy & Foggy

A dismal day, low cloud, misty with poor visibility, 6º, virtually no wind, slight breeze from the NW.

A walk out to Lollingdon hill and the Lees and very wet underfoot with a lot of water lying on the farmland, c50 Redwing in the tree tops in the meadow and a Song Thrush singing well being the first of 9 heard singing today.

Both Stonechats still present with the one on Lollingdon hill still and the other out by the Lees.

Still good numbers of Fieldfare and Redwing around with 400+ of each in the area also 30+ Blackbird, 11 Song Thrush in total and 5 Mistle Thrush, 5 Robins on Lollingdon hill and at least 6 more elsewhere.

Again quite a few gulls on the flooded fields with several hundred each of Lesser Blackback and Black-headed Gulls.

Green Woodpecker heard and a Great-spotted Woodpecker seen, 2 Yellowhammer and a Corn Bunting also on the hill and numbers of Lapwing and Golden Plover seen from the hill towards the pig farm but no count as too misty to see all and get a count.

Raptors not as prominent today due to the weather however, 2 Buzzard, 2 Red Kite, 2 Kestrel, a Sparrowhawk and just as I got back to Marymead a Merlin went zipping through just below tree top height towards the village scattering Wood Pigeon, Jackdaws and Rooks in its wake.

A Moorhen back in the garden again feeding on and off today and the ♀ Blackcap and 5 House Sparrows regular.

TW checked the Corn Bunting roost at dusk yesterday and noted zero Corn Bunting again so the winter roost may be over?

Also c50 Pied Wagtail flew over the river presumably roosting somewhere in the Little Stoke area.