Brrrrr... and so 2009 begins

Oh sweet Lord that was a cold weekend. The snow held off until Sunday afternoon but the wind was bitter all weekend making it hard work in the exposed parts of the area (i.e. most of it!).

But hey, who lets a little inclement weather get in the way of their birding, hmm?

Friday 30th January

First up, Kelk Beck, highlights were c40 Teal, 2 Pintail (pair - a good local record, perhaps the same male was seen in December), 2 Kestrel, 2 Sparrowhawk, 62 Lapwing, 1 Meadow Pipit (scarce/elusive in winter), 41 Linnet and a remarkable 31 Corn Bunting.

Bird of the morning was an imm Peregrine - first seen on the ground in the middle of a field it eventually got up and started hunting, coming right over my head seemingly oblivious to me. After circling for a while it stooped at the ground and tried to grab a weasel (which I wouldn't have spotted otherwise!) several times before realising it wasn't going to fly away and make easy prey. Then it had a bit of a battle with a Kestrel before drifting off toward Foston. Incredible stuff - and still a notable bird for the area. I found out later that a local farmer had seen the bird earlier in the week, so it could well be wintering locally. It didn't seem to be a large bird so I'm guessing it was a male.

I had a walk along Green Lane on the way back not expecting much yet surprisingly picked up 1 Shelduck (huh? wha?), 8 Grey Partridge, 2 Great Black-backed Gull, 20 Fieldfare, 175 Redwing.

A couple of hours in the afternoon was filled with a trip around Gembling and Foston; 4 Gadwall, 4 Teal and 2 pochard at Brigham Quarry. 18 Herons were distantly visible over the heronry, something had clearly spooked them. Clifford Watt's are working the quarry again after leaving it undisturbed for more 15 years. They have been moving/levelling earth but as yet don't seem to have got to the water areas. I can't help wondering what's going on and if I'm honest, have a bad feeling about it. It would be a shame to lose it as it's a useful little oasis (though it hasn't really turned up much of note).

Elsewhere 2 Redshank, 1 Common Buzzard, 25 Redwing and 1 Bullfinch at Gembling. 75 Linnet were on the field between Foston Bridge and Carr House Farm - an excellent count for January.

Finally, with the last bit of daylight I had a quick look by Kelk Lake... seemed to be about 28 Tufted Duck and maybe 20+ Coot but counting not easy. A Barn Owl was hunting around Little Kelk Farm.

Saturday 31st January

My favourite local walk in the last couple of years has been to take in Harpham and Lowthorpe, it always seems to throw up a surprise - today was no exception. Some highlights were 10 Grey Partridge, 3 Common Buzzard, 52 Lapwing, 3 Woodcock (incl 2 together), 41 Herring Gull, 21 Collared Dove together at Harpham, 1 GS Woodpecker, 1 Grey Wagtail, 160 Fieldfare, 1 Goldcrest, 23 Long-tailed Tit, 3 Coal Tit, 2 Siskin, 60 Chaffinch (good count locally) and 3 Bullfinch. But what was the surprise? Another Peregrine, this one was mobbing a Common Buzzard at New Road before flying off south along the beck. Two in two days, whatever next?

A walk up Gransmoor Lane to Barf Hill before dusk added a Kingfisher off Gransmoor Drain and 3 Roe Deer moving from the wood toward Kelk. Not a lot else going on and really my heart just wasn't in it.

Sunday 1st February

Another crack at Kelk Beck seemed to be the order of the day, though staying under the duvet could have been a better option. Hard work and few birds to see. However... 82 Greylags flew N from Cattleholmes, 1 Jack Snipe flushed from the path and dropped on to the other side of the beck - nice!, 1 Green Sandpiper seen flying east over Little Kelk (1 seen nearby in November), a few big gulls moving S, 18 Stock Dove, 1 Barn Owl, 6 Skylark, c100 Fieldfare, 3 long-tailed Tit, 150 Starling, 42 Chaffinch.

Just like Friday, the area threw up something a little special - 3 EGYPTIAN GOOSE stood in the middle of the field south of Lynesykes. A new bird for me locally. It would seem these birds had been seen nearby at Barmston on Thursday. A small feral population exists in Norfolk, mostly, and officially they're Category C on the British List (= non-native but sustaining population, like Canada Goose). With the howling easterly wind and snow starting combined with the location they looked hopelessly lost - undoubtedly the weirdest sighting from the last 3 years!

The weekend was rounded off with a quick second look at Kelk Lake - with rapidly diminishing feeling left in my limbs - 21 Pochard (where were they on Friday?), 13 Tufties, 27 Coot, and 21 Stock Dove.

A grand total of 71 species, slightly up on the start of 2008. Lookin' good!