As the cold weather continues, I feel fortunate that the reserve is located adjacent to the estuary, so our waders and wildfowl at least have somewhere to go where the mud is soft and there are still feeding opportunities. As all the standing water on Exminster and Bowling Green Marsh is frozen and soft ground for feeding is non existent, our birds and wetland wildlife are pushed to their limits. However over on Powderham Marsh it hasn’t deterred our feathered friends as there the flocks of winter finches, buntings and larks have been phenomenal. If you walk in amongst the crop fields at the moment, you are greeted by clouds of small birds rising off the ground and flocking into the adjacent hedges. They are there in their thousands, with counts of up to 800 brambling, 150 linnet, 250 chaffinches, 10 yellow hammers, and 10 reed bunting, not to forget to mention a Lapland bunting. Then the following day amazingly flocks of between 1,250 and 1,500 skylark were recorded, what a sight, fantastic and well worth a visit!