GREY PARTRIDGES (Sean Nixon)
WEDNESDAY 19 JANUARY
A light frost overnight and a welcome return to calm conditions. There was little wind all day and little cloud - in fact a glorious birding day. Not too cold either.
STOCKGROVE COUNTRY PARK (BEDFORDSHIRE)
Decided to head north in to Bedfordshire. The main lake at Stockgrove was extremely swollen due to the recent heavy rains and hence only 8 MANDARIN DUCKS (4 pairs) were in attendance. They were quite frisky though, with two females standing on top of the nestboxes.
Although a cluster of Great, Blue and Coal Tits were present, I failed in my quest to find Marsh Tit. A few Nuthatches were noted, a Siskin and a Stock Dove - the latter my first in the county this year. Also 16+ Grey Squirrels.
WOBURN PARK (BEDFORDSHIRE)
Checked out and counted the two main lakes inside the Park - no Goosander but 118 Wigeon, 8 Gadwall, 58 Tufted Duck, 7 Pochard, 12 Mute Swans and the resident adult Australian Black Swan.
A male Sparrowhawk dashed through with a Common Buzzard feeding on the ground.
UPPER SUNDON (BEDFORDSHIRE)
I was very chuffed to see a pair of GREY PARTRIDGES just north of the village - a species I have not noted in this particular area for a very, very long time.
Furthermore, very intriguing were 3 Common Starlings. Towards dusk, all 3 birds dropped down from the roof of a house and disappeared into a hole in the guttering. I had always believed that all Common Starlings roosted communally in winter in reedbeds or in trees in town/city centres often around lighting but clearly not the case.
Visited other sites during the afternoon but failed once again to find Grey Wagtail, the Ring-necked Parakeet and both Barn and Little Owl again
A light frost overnight and a welcome return to calm conditions. There was little wind all day and little cloud - in fact a glorious birding day. Not too cold either.
STOCKGROVE COUNTRY PARK (BEDFORDSHIRE)
Decided to head north in to Bedfordshire. The main lake at Stockgrove was extremely swollen due to the recent heavy rains and hence only 8 MANDARIN DUCKS (4 pairs) were in attendance. They were quite frisky though, with two females standing on top of the nestboxes.
Although a cluster of Great, Blue and Coal Tits were present, I failed in my quest to find Marsh Tit. A few Nuthatches were noted, a Siskin and a Stock Dove - the latter my first in the county this year. Also 16+ Grey Squirrels.
WOBURN PARK (BEDFORDSHIRE)
Checked out and counted the two main lakes inside the Park - no Goosander but 118 Wigeon, 8 Gadwall, 58 Tufted Duck, 7 Pochard, 12 Mute Swans and the resident adult Australian Black Swan.
A male Sparrowhawk dashed through with a Common Buzzard feeding on the ground.
UPPER SUNDON (BEDFORDSHIRE)
I was very chuffed to see a pair of GREY PARTRIDGES just north of the village - a species I have not noted in this particular area for a very, very long time.
Furthermore, very intriguing were 3 Common Starlings. Towards dusk, all 3 birds dropped down from the roof of a house and disappeared into a hole in the guttering. I had always believed that all Common Starlings roosted communally in winter in reedbeds or in trees in town/city centres often around lighting but clearly not the case.
Visited other sites during the afternoon but failed once again to find Grey Wagtail, the Ring-necked Parakeet and both Barn and Little Owl again
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