Years End

Sunny spells and rain showers, 6°, breezy W.

The frost and ice had all but disappeared by this morning, a little more flooding in local fields and very soggy underfoot.

A lot going on today out there with a couple of partially flooded fields holding quite a few birds………………c250 Lapwing, 80’ish Black-headed Gull, 44 Lesser Blackback Gull, 280+ Fieldfare, 40+ Redwing, c100 Starling, 14 Yellowhammer, 7 Meadow Pipit, 5 Pied Wagtail and around the field periphery, 8 Song Thrush and 20+ Blackbird.

There were Fieldfare just about everywhere today with a scattering of Redwing, Blackbird, Song Thrush and 3 Mistle Thrush.

Several birds of prey around with a female Merlin flying through fast and low, a male Peregrine hunting over Lollingdon, 3 Kestrel, a female Sparrowhawk, 3 Buzzard and the usual 6+ Red Kite.

3 Great-spotted Woodpecker, a Green Woodpecker, a Kingfisher, a Grey Wagtail and 3 Siskin over.

A couple of Goldcrest with a Tit flock in the millennium wood and a couple of Bullfinch present also.

(53 species in total today).

The garden had 10 House Sparrow present today, word must have gotten around! Also, Nuthatch, Coal Tit and Treecreeper and 2 Tawny Owl last night.

Mammals: Roe Deer.