Flushed With Success

The monthly snipe count at the FAUNA reserve this morning was better than I'd expected. With the sub-zero temperatures and ice cover I'd assumed that most the snipe would have headed for the more saline environs of the saltmarsh, but no!
In total we counted 119 common snipe, 7 jack snipe and 3 woodcock. Not too shabby. While on the site we also added kingfisher, sparrowhawk, grey heron and brown hare as well as the usual common bits and pieces.
Nearby, the linnet flock was still very much in evidence with around 100 birds present, along with c20 chaffinch; there was no sign of the female brambling.

Later, I had a trundle along Aldcliffe Marsh and checked out Freeman's Pools. The few geese present were all on the Oxcliffe side of the Lune and with just bins I couldn't pick anything notable out among the assembled greylags and Canada geese. Similarly there were no yellow splashes on any of the swans' bills.
The Flood was bereft of birds and Freeman's Pools were frozen and all-but birdless; one tiny patch of open water had just 5 teal on it.

Jon