11-12-12

Just using up my last few holidays of the year with a couple of days off, three days at work then three weeks off.  Get in!!!  After visiting a local site first it was then a walk around WH.  The lake was partially frozen and there was about a hundred wildfowl on there but I didn't stop as the sunlight was right over the pool and I was popping down to the rough track to put out some bird food and do a bit of photography before checking out what was on the lake, bad mistake as the outdoor centre staff were walking around the pool as I arrived and had scarred everything off!!!!! Not one duck was seen after.  I parked up for about half an hour and took a few photos which didn't turn out to good but birds noted whilst there were Dunnock, Moorhen, 4 Grey Partridge, 5 Tree Sparrow, 7 Yellowhammer, a few Robins, Blackbird, Chaffinch, 30+ Golden Plover (another 40+ were seen later), Carrion Crow, 43 Skylark was my highest count throughout my visit, 2 Mistle Thrush and about 120 Lapwing with another 100 seen throughout the visit.  Onto the quarry entrance area and with nothing on the lake I did a bit of hedge and woodland bashing.  Birds noted were Long-tailed Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Linnet, Wren, 3+ Jay, several Redwing, and lots of Woodpigeon.  A walk around the rough track was next and I added 3 Mute Swan, several Fieldfare, Goldfinch, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker flying towards the wood, 3 Ruff had now joined the Lapwing/Golden Plover flock, 150+ Starling were feeding on the ploughed surface, Stock Dove, Pied Wagtail, Buzzard, Black Headed Gull and a few Magpie.  The last thing to do was to count the Mute Swan flock further round the trackes and they totalled 115.