Saturday 20 January 2018

Beddington Farmlands and Sutton

This morning I escorted 17 birders to see the colour-ringed adult male Twite which has been around the landfill site at Beddington for nearly two months now. It was a bit of a tense morning - for me at least, feeling a little pressure - and a wet and cold one at that. Thankfully, almost everybody saw the bird at least reasonably well, with those sticking it out till midday enjoying excellent prolonged scope views. I also noted five Tree Sparrows, seven Reed Buntings, a male Stonechat, seven Skylarks, two Meadow Pipits, two Snipe, 34 Lapwings, two Egyptian Geese, four Shelducks, 32 Gadwall, 48 Teal, 17 Shovelers, 15 Tufted Ducks, a Cormorant, 11 Mute Swans, 10 Grey Herons, two Little Grebes, three Redwings, 10 Pied Wagtails and 70 Linnets.

I popped round to visit Phil in the afternoon, a Sparrowhawk dashing through his Sutton garden and two Coal Tits visiting the feeders.

colour-ringed adult male Twite - look at that rump!