An afternoon out in North Beds - LGRE

MONDAY 17 JANUARY

Another very wet day. In fact it rained heavily virtually all morning. Still fairly mild though, with brighter conditions moving in during the afternoon.

I finally got out just after midday and decided to concentrate on North Beds today. Not a great deal seen but a few decent snippets.......

OCTAGON FARM (BEDS) (TL 088 495)

Site was in great shape again with many shallow pools and scrapes appearing after the recent rains - no sign of the Water Pipit though despite an exhaustive search, but the flock of 11 Pied Wagtails were still feeding.

Highlight was 2 GREEN SANDPIPERS on the car park pools, with 150 Greylag Geese, 160 Lapwing and 6 Common Magpies noted.

RADWELL PITS AND GREAT OUSE VALLEY (NORTH BEDS)

Still pots of wildfowl to be seen including a staggering 783+ Eurasian Wigeon, 176 Common Teal, 38 Northern Shoveler, 177 Tufted Duck and 104 Northern Pochard, whilst 198 Mute Swans were visible from Moor End Lane Bridge. The Bewick's Swan herd had gone and again I dipped the Egyptian Goose.

A pair of EURASIAN CURLEW was feeding at the southern end of the main field west of the Ouse and could be 'scoped distantly from the bridge. Not much else though - 4 Grey Herons and 25 Fieldfares worthy of mention.

HARROLD-ODELL COUNTRY PARK (NORTH BEDS)

Still no sign of any Egyptian Geese - certainly none present on the main pit or the adjacent sites where they are normally seen. A reasonable selection of wildfowl present, highlighted by the presence of 13 Common Goldeneye (3 adult drakes) and 6 redhead GOOSANDER. The far car park area yielded 60 Redwings.

Spent the last hour searching suitable locations for Owls but once more drew a complete blank - too wet for them perhaps?