Bang!

Just sitting at home quietly working, when Bang! something hits the conservatory roof. I saw a few feathers and at first thought a Woodpigeon had landed badly. But sadly for the Woodpigeon it was worse than that, it had been caught by a Sparrowhawk and was in the process of being dispatched. Just had time to get a couple of blurred shots before the Sparrowhawk and its prey took off, leaving just a few feathers as a memento.

Ivy Lake

Considering that it is practically on the doorstep and features so regularly on the birding circuit, I thought it about time that I gave Ivy Lake a try-out and it certainly did not disappoint.

With a thick layer of snow still on the ground and most of the lake frozen over, most of the water birds were concentrated around the few areas clear of ice. Huge numbers of Coots dominated the scene, with Herring Gulls, Great Black-Backed Gulls, Mute Swans, Cormorants, Gadwall, Tufted Ducks, Shovellers and Pochard also on view.

Thanks to a very generous birder who let me look through his Swarovski scope, I also managed to see the Red-Crested Pochard in the reeds on the far side of the lake (which had been reported on the SOS recent sightings board) and also a fantastic view of a Water Rail which was again on the water's edge among the reeds. There's always debate about whether Red-Crested Pochards are escapees or wild - the concensus, considering the weather, seems that this one is wild - unlike these which I snapped on a pond in Sandwich in 2007.

Away from the water, two male Bullfinches were busy among the willows, along with various tits - Blue, Great, Long-Tailed and Coal.

Boxgrove Walk, Thaw Begins

With the snow generally thawing on the roads and pavements, but still up to a foot deep in the drifts on the field edges, a midday walk around Boxgrove got off to a good start with a Yellowhammer by the recreation ground, but there were few birds around – Woodpigeon, Rook, Crow, Jackdaw, Collared Dove, Blackbird, Robin, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Chaffinch, Starling, Magpie a single Fieldfare and several Goldfinches.

In the churchyard, the weight of the snow had caused huge damage to a cedar tree, bringing down several large branches.

Winter Wonderland

Lots of snow bringing the south of England to a standstill.

The thick snow blanketing the whole of the country has forced birds to forage for food wherever they can and this has meant some new visitors to the garden. A flock of up to 30 Fieldfares feasted on a Cotoneaster in the road and one Fieldfare took up residence with us, chasing away Blackbirds and eating the apples we left out.

Fieldfares feast on berries

Fieldfare in residence.

Other unusual visitors included a single Redwing, a very wary Jay and a Mistle Thrush.

Redwing in the Buddlea

A Hedge Sparrow tried to eat the seed left on the ground, but was given very little peace by a territorial Robin. The other usual suspects were Rooks, Herring Gulls, Woodpigeons, Blue Tits and Great Tits.

The influx of Fieldfares and Redwings is apparently explained by a huge flock of 30,000 Fieldfares and 8,000 Redwings which made it’s way south ahead of the snow in a search for snow-free ground for food.

Deal Turnstone

New Years Day in Deal. High tide and icy cold. This Turnstone decided to stay on the pier.