Pre-Xmas blues

Sunday 18th  December 2016

I've just been looking at some Blogs of the past. I know its better to look forward than back but on a miserable evening in early December its interesting to see what you were up to last year and whether your mood was less sombre. I keep telling myself there will be a Hawk Owl or a Eye browed Thrush found but I don't really believe it. Be nice though. Last year's Blogs around this time talked about the usual winter visitors, the usual Great northern Diver at Draycote the odd Redwing in the garden and a bit of banter about Beer. All good stuff.
I've been delving into the Archives as well digging out some old note books going back to 1986.  My interest in birds goes back well beyond that though. I was bought my first Bird book, the Observers Book of Birds in 1955 and started ticking.
I was very limited to some very local birding last week but I'd noticed a decent flock of finches flying over a Corn stubble field within a short walk from home. I presumed the birds were Linnets but needed to see them in less gloomy light and not driving a car, to confirm. They were indeed Linnets, a good flock of 60 or so birds. Shame that the field they and several other species were using to feed may well be lost to housing development in the not too distant future.
Took the opportunity to visit Draycote after a present exchange in Coventry, had reasonable views of the G N Diver, 2 of the 3 Scaup and 4 Dunlin. I stopped off at Brandon on the way back saw Kingfisher and a couple of Goldeneye but nothing else of note. Did the 'Mancetter walk' yesterday. another Kingfisher and the resident Grey wags, were along the river.
 On the adjacent fields were flocks of winter thrushes and Yellowhammers but no sign of any Tree Sparrows in the hedges or Chiffchaffs in thr riverside bushes.
Today I visited Alvecote pools and saw yet another Kingfisher, 2 Great white Egrets (both on Mill pool), 10 Little Egrets and 2 Stonechats (both male).