Managed a late morning / early afternoon wander around the patch.Freeman's Wood was quietish with the only highlights being a jay, the roosting tawny owl (pictured, badly, left), a woodcock (my first here in ages, even though they're annual winter visitors) and the usual cluster of goldfinches and blue & great tits near Lucy Brook at the Willow Lane end.
Seemed to be lots of blackbirds around again...
3 bullfinch, and Guy McClellan, were by Freeman's Pools which were almost entirely frozen bar a very small patch of open water. On it were 8 coot, 2 little grebe, 5 mallard and, new in, 2 pairs of gadwall - the first I've seen in the Aldcliffe area since spring. A heron, 2 mute swans and a kestrel were here too.
A few snipe were in the frozen stubble fields and around the Wildfowlers' Pools, as were 5 fieldfare.
The fog on the marsh hindered viewing somewhat and the only geese visible were Canadas and 2 greylag.
Here's to an interesting 2009..!
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