Barely Double Figures

I completed the final wintering bird survey at my site in northwest Lancs with a bit of freshwater marsh yesterday, and just for a change (note the sarcasm), the wind was from the north, well, northwest to be precise. And following the pattern of this spring, it was cold! 

There was some vis this morning, and I recorded my first Tree Pipit of the spring, but it barely reached double figures. I recorded (all moving between northwest and east) two Goldfinches, the aforementioned Tree Pipit (too high to see, just a couple of calls), seven Swallows, seven Meadow Pipits, a Linnet, a Siskin and a Chaffinch.

As you would expect wildfowl numbers had reduced, and on the marsh were five Teals, with a Little Egret for company. Just three raptors this morning; two Buzzards and a Kestrel. I didn't have any grounded migrants, but a singing Goldcrest and Chiffchaff from the strip of woodland along the burn could have been fresh in.

 

For some reason this Greylag Goose found the winter wheat interesting, and

dropped in mid-morning!
 

I'll report tomorrow on a quiet ringing session, yet again, that Alice and I had this morning.