Deep Purple

Some digiscoped shots of Purple Sandpipers at Rhos - most of them were in a deep sleep!

Turnstone, Rhos

Brambling, Burton Marsh

Mediterranean Gull, Moore

2nd winter Lesser Black-backed Gull with orange breast - not sure if its picked something up off the tip or its been purposely sprayed to track its movements. The photo doesn't really show off the true extent of the orange colour - it stood out a mile in the pool!

Very pale and oddly marked second winter Herring Gull

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Saturday was a quietish day. Below is the list of sightings at the feeding station from morning and afternoon sessions (haven't been since):

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75+ Tree Sparrows

4 House Sparrows

3 Reed Buntings

19 Yellowhammers

10 Corn Buntings (up to 24 late afternoon)

1 Bullfinch

12 Chaffinches

2 Greenfinches

1 Linnet

40+ Sheps

1 Stock Dove

1 Fieldfare

3 Redwings

1 Buzzard

1 Kestrel

2 Pheasants

9 Grey Partridges (28 late afternoon)

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The Fieldfare that has been resident in the garden departed after 26 days spent here. HGF is still frozen though a pair of Mallard appear to have taken up roosting on the ice. Yesterday evening there was a two foot strip of free water around the edge, however the ice near the edge is still thick enough to support my weight! Don't try it!!!

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Sunday I went looking for Woodlarks -bit of a risky strategy as I didn't have a lot of time to spend. Anyway I rolled up to find several birders with the blank looks that clearly indicated they had seen no Woodlarks and had no idea where they were. A few of us headed up the opposite track - about half way up I scanned a small paddock and picked out a male Brambling in a small flock of Chaffinches. At the top of the track were large numbers of Fieldfares, Redwings and Mistle Thrushes plus a flock of around 150 Linnets. Someone had reported three Woodlarks earlier that morning - to make life interesting 3 Skylarks kept flitting around in a small group - they were definitely Skylarks though.

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I wandered off into the corner of a stubble field and perked up when a small lark flew over my head, calling. The call seemed to me to resemble Woodlark (which I had listened to before setting off) - it was short-tailed, small and I could see no white stripes down the side of the tail (a feature I had picked out on the three Skylarks). That was as good as it got though and this one will have to go in the iffy category. While I was watching this one, all the other birders had seen two birds which they thought were Woodlarks drop into the field behind me - I never saw them and no one could relocate them. Lovely scenery there anyway and a Buzzard and a Sparrowhawk were also subsequently seen.

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Next I headed off to LFF for a bit of seawatching. The conditions were good and I soon had 9 Red-throated Divers, 1 Great Northern Diver and 3 Slavonian Grebes. Added to these were 2 Fulmars, 5 Razorbills and 4 Eiders. Next I went to look at some sleeping Purple Sandpipers - 13 of these gorgeous little waders and some even woke up! I spent some time just watching these and didn't bother looking out to sea which I should have done judging by reports.

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Monday I managed a very brief sojourn to Burton Marsh while working in the area. The walk to the Decca Pools produced a few Little Egrets flitting around and several hundred each of Teal and Wigeon. A Peregrine was perched on top of a large pole and the outer marsh was full of swans. Most of these were too far away, however one group of 14 had come in quite a way and were easy to ID as Bewick's. Along the hedge was a flock of Chaffinches which were very flighty, especially after a male Spar paid them a visit. During the brief spells when they settled I managed to pick out 6 Bramblings - I suspect there were more. Two foxes patrolled the pools before wandering off.

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Today I managed a brief look at Birchwood Pool, Moore. The pool is still largely frozen though the free water area is bigger. Presumably becuase Richmond Bank was probably under water, there were large numbers of Herring and Black-headed Gulls present bathing or stood on the ice - around 3,000 of each. The other gulls by c0ntrast, were few in number - less than 20 of Great Black-backed, Lesser Black-backed and Common. Not even a Yellow-legged Gull on show, never mind an Iceland! Eventually I found an adult Med Gull and a Grey Wagtail flitted around on the ice beneath the hide. Tonight the two Little Owls were perched together on the fence off Lady Lane - I had only seen one bird on recent visits.