for early frog spawn.
An hour on Soil Hill proved rewarding despite the biting cold S >5-6 and grey skies with hazy visibility. A Heron is starting using the top pond on the track now watching for early frog spawn, this being an annual event, whilst Skylarks are up to 7 which were all on the Nyjer seed along with 4 Meadow Pipits. A Grey Partridge flushed from in front of me and the usual Reed Bunting was in the mounds.
Down on the NK pond field is where it was all happening with a single Moorhen on the water but the Shay field itself was alive with birds, more than I,ve ever recorded before. The field was black with around 300 Starling and at least 30 Fieldfare mixed in with them whilst lower down in the field a flock of around 200 Lapwings were present and at least 11 Golden Plover in with them. An amazing sight to see so many birds feeding together .
Another great hour on the hill and worth getting frozen to the bone for.
A text today from Angela and Gary reporting long awaited Long Tailed Tits in passerine alley at Ogden.
BS