Paddyfield birding

Tuesday 20th November 2012
Set off with the intention of looking for the Long tailed Duck at Drayton Basett after checking the estate bushes for Waxwings and also popping in to Stoney Delph to see if the Pintail was still there. It wasnt. Pressed on to Middleton with the rain starting to fall and the skies to the west looking threatening. I passed a couple of couples and a chap from Derby. Nobody had seen either the LTD or the Sandpiper but there had been reports of the Sandpiper being seen in the morning. I carried on as the rain started to come down. By the time I reached the 'new workings' it was raining steadily and visability was poor. For once I'd got my trusty 'scope with me and started to assemble it with a view to scanning the water's edge near the pump. No need. I wiped the water off the lens and checked to see if I could see anything at all. Sure could, there was the White rumped Sandpiper motionless back to the prevailing weather. A bit of luck. The rain was now sheeting down, the backs of my jeans were already soaked, it was time to get the front soaked and head back. On reaching the Fishers Mill bridge there was a lot of bird movement. Fieldfare, Redwing, and a large flock of, maybe 60 Chaffinches flying from the canal side hedge into the stubble field and back. I saw 2 Bramblings in flight but there may well have been more with more birds on the ground further into the field. It would have been great to work through the flock but with the rain and wind continuing it was time to call it a day. https://twitter.com/Bob_the_Birder