Friday 5 January 2018

Pond, park, beds

At PHP a singing Treecreeper was the only NfY, not being able to find a Firecrest nor even a tit flock today. On the pond, Pochard 3, Shoveler 2 and  Common Gull 50+ whilst a single Great Crested Grebe was the first for a while. A Buzzard flashed east with a strong wind and two corvids behind it and a little later a Red Kite was circling out to the west.

In the park, lunch, Bullfinch but no sight of any Hawfinch. A typically nervous Mistle Thrush had taken ownership of the well-berried Holly adjacent to the storage area. Not too bad underfoot on the outward journey of the 'insect loop' with some fresh Roe Deer slots down the middle of the path but very muddy on the return journey with not a peep of Firecrest nor other passerines.

Finally, at high tide at Hayling Oysterbeds the islands were just above water; five RBMs and three Little Grebes here and plenty of waders struggling for a foothold including a few Knot - no scope so no scanning for divers etc.