trimpley

6/02/10
dropped off at the top car park, from where i walked slowly down towards the lake, the crossbill's wernt on show, but 2 siskin and 5 coal tit were noted, a few GSW were drumming in the woodlands. 6 stock dove flew over NW
on the small lake a decent sized flock of LBBG's(71) with BHG's(33). a grey heron shown superbly on the small lake:

with no other birds around i headed up onto the big lake, but it was obvious that the lake was devoid..........

....... but a biker up the far end rode past and out came 65 coot(also 3 more on small lake), and a few seconds later a small party of tuftie ducks, and ven from this range i could pick out a female POCHARD in the flock. rather than following the bird i dropped onto the river for mandarins and goosanders,

NONE

not a single bird was on the river, i walked all the way along the river to the end of the resevoir, but only a male kestrel was noted.....

so climbing the bank back up onto the res.......

had a scan for the tuftie flock but they had disspaeared, then i heard them

CROSSBILL'S, i looked up to see a flock of 6 crossbill flying south calling(year tick). i watched them go over the hill and resumed my walk. the walk to the small res was birdless.

on the small lake the POCHARD was refound along with a female tufted duck with extensive white at the base of the bill.

another walk up and down the river was again birdless so back up to the car park.

at the entrance to the water works i again heard crossbills calling, i emerged out the woodland to see 3 crossbills briefly alight attop a larch, then fly south.

i spent 5 mins here but the crossbills didnt return

at the top car park a further 2 crossbill were seen, but this total quickly increased to 5 birds(1+ male). these birds were extremly skitish and were hard to pin down in the scope, therefore no videos but heres one from 31/12/09 anyway:

these birds then also flew south presumable to roost in the wyre forest....

and that concludes my visit to trimpley

MB