01 April 2010

Left the house this morning at 06.30, there was snow on the ground, it was rather cold and I was well wrapped up, is this an April's Fool!!

As usual the Grey Wagtail was singing away on the canal, the model boating lake had the pair of Great Crested Grebe and 5x Mute Swans, I made my way down to the main lake to do the duck count, in front of the grass verge there was a Little Ringed Plover as I watched fly high and north it was joined by another one, back to the duck count and Tufted Ducks were up to 39, the pair of Goldeneye are still present, another 4x Great Crested Grebe and the Grey Heron was walking along the path.
I made my way to the first gate into the wood/pools, here I had my first of 2 Willow Warblers and the first of 4 Chiffchaff, again a pair of Teal flew from the brook and a female Great Spotted Woodpecker landed on a tree in front of me, a single Redwing popped out of a bush at the side of the gate, I thought I may of seen the last of these til autumn, but given the weather I shouldn't of been surprised.
Up by the top pool another pair of Mute Swans are nesting and the male Shoveler was on here, in the Tit flock a Coal Tit was present and at least 4 Willow Tit with two excavating a hole in a tree, a Reed Bunting was also calling by the pool.
Just after I'd left Nick and made my way along the canal side of the main lake I noticed a large bird of prey flying across the lake, it was a lovely male Peregrine, it flew along the lake up an over the wood/pools and then up and over Bradwell Wood, I have seen Peregrine here before a lot of years ago with Bill Lowe so it was a nice finish to the morning.

Total species seen was 41.