A Winter Chill
Get your thermals out, there's a proper chill in the air. The Whooper Swans know it too with 600+ on the Mere late afternoon. Most of the wildfowl present are out of their eclipsed plumage and we have good numbers of Pintail, Teal, Wigeon and Pochard coming in. Loads of Shelduck present too and smaller numbers of Shoveler, Gadwall and Tufted Duck.
More raptor action with the adult female Peregrine catching a Teal early on and sharing it with the juvenile male at the back of the Mere. Three Peregrine together today and 2+ Marsh Harrier, 4 Common Buzzard, Sparrowhawk and Kestrel.
A Chiffchaff was present in a Long-tailed Tit flock just off the Nature Trail.
At least 10 Tree Sparrow on the in focus shop feeder.
A small murmuration of Starling from the Harrier Hide from 4:30pm onwards, with around 2000 birds, excellent nonetheless. Two Marsh Harrier, Peregrine and Sparrowhawk all paid them a visit.
