No Luck

Around forty Magpie were seen to leave the Dawson's Corner roost at first light - I didn't really expect the numbers to get this high! A male Kestrel was over the southern entrance to the Mill Lakes at dawn, and seven Cormorant (probably a site record) were present: six in the usual tree and one fishing in the water below. Two further birds were later seen flying towards the Mill Lakes from the direction of Lamin's Lane. A Song Thrush was again singing in the Willow Carr, and at least eight Common Snipe were on Mud Island. I met my friend Norman at the Wooden Footbridge and we walked up to the Leen Pastures Feeding Station so I could continue with my mini-action plan of supporting the Willow Tit population. The pair visited the table within a minute of me covering it with food, and seemed happy with me standing just a couple of meters away. Back at the lake, a group of six Redwing were in the trees by the Wooden Footbridge, and the Siskin flock numbered 40-50 birds in one of the alders there. We met Alan back at the southern end of the lake, and from the Vehicle Bridge the three of us watched a Little Grebe out by Tern Island. We walked back along the Sustran Path towards the Pit Tip. Alan carried on, as Norman and I headed back through Dawson's Corner. A mixed group of corvids were gathered on the ground alongside the Cow Gates, and a Common Gull was swooping down to take an interest too. It seemed that someone had thrown some scraps down there, and the gull was chasing after a Rook that had acquired one of the large scraps. I took a few photos, but they weren't very good. I should have walked back via Broad Valley as, later that day, a flock of Waxwing were seen there! I can't be lucky all the time, can I?!