I have been ranting off blog that the pond is crap and predictable poor, well it certainly wasn’t when Bob and I visited today.
Our visit started off so badly that we turned back at farborough spit after only recording a Jay and 30+ Meadow Pipit. Luckily as we approached the visitor centre a mixed flock of finches feeding between the farborough bank perimeter road and the pay and display car park contained 30+ Lesser Redpolls and could have included a couple of juvenile flammea. Views were limited due to the constant disturbance from cyclist and walkers and not helped when the road around the visitor centre was closed for cable laying.
Now buoyed up a little we decided to look for the Brambling flock Bob had on Friday and as we passed the sailing club a Short-eared Owl flew over the reservoir heading towards us then veered right and observed heading towards the sewage farm before returning via biggen bay. While watching the owl a Curlew flew past it heading east. Despite harassment from corvids and gulls it finally flew over the picnic area near hensborough bank and lost out of sight. Bob checked the country park and rewarded with a male Brambling while I stayed by the windsurfing car park and had 6 Siskin. By the time we reached rainbow corner the wind had freshened and the finch flock was tucked up against the hedgerow and did not show well. On our way back we gave the country park another search just in case and had 80 Golden Plover over.
Our final count for the day was:-
Lesser Redpoll 30+
Siskin 6
Bullfinch 6
Bullfinch 6
Meadow Pipit 40+
Yellowhammer 10
Tree Sparrow
Jay 6
Great-spotted Woodpecker 3
Sparrowhawk
Short-eared Owl
Curlew
Golden Plover 80+
Goldeneye 16
Pochard 5
Wigeon 13
Fieldfare 300
Redwing 600
but we could not locate the Black-necked Grebe.
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