A plethora of Tree Sparrows

Tree Sparrows and a female House Sparrow at the Waterworks Lane feeding station

Male Kingfisher at the back of the pool off Moat Lane, Rixton

Oystercatchers at Houghton Green Flash

Oystercatchers with Wigeon and 3 Redshank

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Today has been very dull, grey, cold and extremely windy - hence the very poor attempts at digiscoping. At HGF the westerly wind was blowing the scope around all over the place and coupled with low light levels (and thus slow shutter speeds) I really struggled to get any half decent shots today.
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The Tree Sparrow numbers at my feeding station in Waterworks Lane have been going up and up over the last week or so. I thought John Tymons count of 34 the other day would be impossible to beat, however this afternoon birds just kept piling in until a maximum of 39 was observed. Where are they all coming from? I have decided that the collective noun for Tree Sparrows is now a plethora - 39 is in these parts!

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A male Brambling was also present at the feeding station with 2 females being seen in the garden earlier in the day. The feeding station also held 12 Yellowhammers, 6 Reed Buntings, 3 House Sparrows, 20+ Chaffinches and 2 Grey Partridges. In the garden the highlight was 4 Mistle Thrushes which came in several times in order to have a serious falling out with each other. 2 Reed Buntings and approx a dozen Chaffinches also around.

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At HGF 87 Wigeon were present with 13 Tufties, 2 Pochard and a Great Crested Grebe. The latter is half way to moulting into breeding plumage and is possibly the bird that spent most of the winter here until recently. Nice to see it back from its 2 week break! Both Oystercatchers are now present. The field to the south of the pool has been partially ploughed and held 3 Skylarks. There were large numbers of gulls today which were commuting between the pool and some recently ploughed fields behind Midhops farm. Approx 350 BHG's with 20+ Herring and 10+ Common gulls counted on the pool with more gulls distant. A Buzzard flapped lazily down the treeline to the east of the pool.

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A quick trip to Rixton this afternoon resulted in nice but distant views of a male Kingfisher loitering at the back of the pool. 12 Tufties, 11 Gadwall, 5 Canada Geese, 2 Little Grebes and 4 Cormorants were on the pool with a Heron on the far side. In the wood a Great Spotted Woodpecker was calling and over 40 Chaffinches flew out in dribs and drabs - all headed towards the mosses.

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On the way home I diverted along Holly Bush Lane where 2 male Kestrels and a Buzzard were hunting over the mosses. Nearly all the fields here have been ploughed recently. In one 362 Lapwings were stood very quietly and 150+ Fieldfares were present with 300+ Starlings further along.