Having not been to the Mill Lakes all month due to a heavy work schedule, I decided to head out before work and sneak in at least one visit before the month's end. It proved to be well worth it.
At the crack of dawn I headed over the Pit Tip Top, flushing just a single Meadow Pipit, and briefly sighting a flock of a dozen Fieldfare - my first of the year! Just before the double gates of Farmer Fox's Cow Field I flushed four birds that looked like partridge, and relocating them in the field south of Dawson's Corner, I had reasonable views of a group of four Grey Partridge feeding and running amongst the scrub.
A couple more Fieldfare flew towards the west at the Mill Lakes, and a group of seven Pochard were at the southern end of lake. Half a dozen Teal were spread out between the mid and northern end, and two Little Grebe were together where the Leen enters the lake.
Star of the morning was my first Water Rail of recent years, and a bit of a blocker. I first viewed it briefly from the Peninsula as it ran over the the exposed mud flat on Mud Island towards far bank. The bill was the obvious feature that separated it from any of the more typical species. I moved round to the north east bank to relocate it and got some amazing views as it paraded up and down the reeds of the far bank for several minutes in the sun, and not being very shy at 8am! Another one of those days I wish I'd taken the camera! The Kingfisher also put in a showing, landing in a tree that overhangs the water near where I stood.
On the way home a group of four first winter Pied Wagtail provided the final notable sighting before my day at work, as they fed in Broad Valley Stables' Horse Paddock - probably moving through on passage.
No comments:
Post a Comment