c.150 PInkfeet over, Siskin, Fieldfares, Goldcrests
A beautiful calm morning with hazy sunshine today. Checked the water at c. 7:20am before the rowers arrived but nothing to report. Had a leisurely walk around but generally fairly quiet. Saw the Kingfisher from the hide, but the water level had risen dramatically after heavy overnight rain in the last few days. No Teal or Snipe on the reserve, and only a few stones visible on the island.
A party of Goldfinches in the Alders at the Triangle had three or four Siskin with them but quite elusive in the tops of the trees and only managed some half-hidden footage, so not worth publishing. A few Goldcrests and Long-tailed Tits were about in the bushes. Walking up the track to Turnough Farm, a male Bullfinch showed briefly, and then came across a number of Fieldfares feeding on the berries in the dell here. As I watched, I heard Pinkfeet and looked up to see a skein of c. 150 heading east overhead.
I spent some time trying to get close to Fieldfares to try and film them but they were quite wary and difficult to get in the open. A male Reed Bunting was here briefly, with a few Redwings. At Shaw Moss, there were quite a few Teal, including a pair by the track in the water that had risen since the rain.