All the water on the wetlands has been frozen for a while now and, therefore, there have not been any wildflowl or waders present. To redress the balance however, a sizable flock of Linnets have been active in the arable fields, with small groups of Fieldfare still taking advantage of the berries in the hedgerows.
12th December - Linnets over the farm arable field.
12th December - a slight thaw set in.
12th December - still looking icy along the Blue Route .
12th December - Fieldfare at dusk.
12th December - one of three Robins seen vying with each other under the feeders on this icy morn.
The Saltmarsh Pool, being brackish, has not suffered quite as badly, with a regular group of Teal and Wigeon seen most days.
10th December - at the height of the freeze, Teal on the Saltmarsh pool.
14th December - Wigeon and Teal at dusk.
Even in these freezing conditions with sharp over night frosts, the estuary and saltmarsh high tide roosts have still been worth looking at, with a good display most days. Round Scargavel Point flocks of Pintail, out on the water at high tide, have been in the region of 100 birds with sizable groups of Teal, Shoveler, Wigeon and Mallard; and even a few Goosander. Oystercatchers can mostly be seen lining the edge of the saltmarsh on their hightide roosts and aerial displays of Dunlin have been a regular daily feature. A few Barnacle geese have put in an appearance along with a Grey Heron and a few Golden Plover.
16th December.
The incoming tide picking up ice from the mudflats . . .
. . . and turning it into an icy soup.
Pintail sailing along at high tide.
Shovelers and waders on the incoming tide.
Shoveler and Teal.
Oystercatchers, Dunlin and Shoveler on the tideline.
Mallard and Teal in fly-by.
Wigeon landing . . .
. . . and the sunlight picking up their bright plumage.
Dunlin fly-by.
Oystercatchers landing up on saltmarsh.
Dunlin and Oystercatchers in bay west of the Viaduct.
Barnacle Geese on the saltmarsh edge.
Bedraggled Grey Heron on saltmarsh.
Golden Plover put in an appearance too.
A regular Kestrel plies the saltmarsh edges and today, a juvenile Common Buzzard (well drenched from overnight rain)) has been hunting persistently along the saltmarsh, using the intermittent hawthorn bushes as viewing platforms.
17 December - A very wet Common Buzzard landing on hawthorn in front of the hamlet.
. . . and getting a good view along the marsh.
Flying off again to check out a further bit of marsh,
So plenty to see, everybody!