Waxwings

I started off at the farm fields this morning and I was stood in the copse waiting for it to get light, listening to Pink-footed Geese dropping in to the farm fields to the east. I had 7 oktas cloud cover with a biting 15 mph northerly wind.

I did my usual circuit but it was slow. All the farm fields and hedges revealed were a Song Thrush, 239 Pink-footed Geese, 19 Meadow Pipits, 70 Jackdaws and a Reed Bunting.

I managed to find a bit of shelter to enable me to look on the sea but it was hardly worth it with just three Cormorants, three Common Scoters, a Red-throated Diver and five Eiders.

As I was nearly back at my car I received a phone call from Ian to say that he had some Waxwings in the Rowans on the dual carriageway. I was there in five minutes and sure enough five Waxwings were feeding merrily away on the Rowan berries. Even though the sun was behind us, the sky was so bright that it was difficult to get some decent shots, but if you look below I think you can tell what they are.

 Waxwing (above & below)

I then had a look on the Marine Lakes, and the two smaller lakes have been drained to carry out maintenance work and are attracting a few birds; I had 143 Turnstones, two Goldeneyes, 78 Redshanks, a Red-breasted Merganser and 60 Black-headed Gulls.

 Redshanks

I finished my mornings birding by having a look at a section of the estuary as the tide ran in and recorded 70 Mallards, 59 Redshanks, 40 Wigeons, 61 Lapwings and a Peregrine.

I'm not sure what I am doing tomorrow, it could be walking with her indoors or some more birding, I'll let Gail decide.