Local Birding

12th - 15th Dec 2014

Getting used to winter birding and winter temperatures again is taking a while. The main motivation for a patch walk was getting a good walk in and a bit of much needed exercise, In Kuwait the locals bird by driving round reserves in a 4x4 and stopping every now again to poke a camera out of a window. On Friday the walk around Caldecote was unremarkable. There were a few Rewings and Fieldfares in the Anchor bushes but they were outnumbered by Blackbirds,which seem to be everywhere. The Anker flood meadows were flooded and held 40 or so Teal while a fox sauntering across the stubble put up a small flock of Skylarks.
On the Saturday I popped into Shustoke Res., a leisurely stroll round produced a Common Sandpiper, a Red crested Pochard and a 1st winter drake Scaup and a visit to Cliff pool Kingsbury produced a female Scaup. On a visit to both venues today I drew a blank at Shustoke with no sign of the ducks or the Sandpiper. At Cliff pool however the female Scaup was still present.