A snowy Greylake over the weekend with frozen ground left the ducks and waders outside the hide with fewer places to feed and less active, instead trying (like us in the hide) to keep warm. Most (birds) were huddled tightly on the other side of the large body of water N-NW further out from the hide, and were packed so densely they could have even been mistaken for a muddy bank stretching out across the water. However, on second glance the ground would occasionally move, and through binoculars you could see it was alive! A telescope was then needed to start picking up the various different species which included shoveler, pintail, mallard, and wigeon, in amongst mostly teal. On several occasions we did watch some action though as they all became spooked (less often we could see a raptor for the cause of it), once or twice rising up in some incredible swirls, and other times landing at the far end of the scrape directly in front of the hide.
(Willow snake in snow: Dave Laithwaite)
We also saw fewer ducks out along the grass strip leading NW from the hide, which more noticeably no longer displayed its previous numbers of snipe- the frozen ground seemed to prevent the snipe from getting their bill into the hard mud to feed. However, looking SW alongside and into the coppiced willow next to the hide the ground remained much softer and far better for feeding, and the occasional snipe would fly in from the fields to probe around. Similarly making the most of the softer ground were moorhen and water rail. We saw one water rail frequently on the Saturday- it seemed less obliging on the Sunday and didn't appear until later on in the day, but when that one was later spotted the experience was doubled as it was joined by a second. We then continued to watch the two water rail appear every now and then for the rest of the Sunday afternoon. Of the smaller birds moving about in the willow we spotted a brambling and chiffchaff (seen mainly on the Saturday although even this seemed infrequent), long tailed tits (appearing in the afternoon on Sunday), alongside reed bunting, blackbird, and robin (showing across the weekend and moving right up next to the hide).
(Water rail: John Crispin)
For most of the time there were a few duck moving around in the scrape directly outside the hide- mostly teal, but also some mallard and sometimes wigeon- it was fascinating watching them dip their head under the freezing water, then pulling it back to allow it to bead over their beautifully waterproof feathers. The mallards in particular even seemed slightly restless with an apparent sign of spring setting in, as head bobbing displays, scuffles, and the occasional mating were noticed. All three duck species (teal, mallard, and wigeon) could also be seen further right of the hide (N) moving about in the grass and reeds. A little grebe was also spotted diving around in the scrape on the Sunday, while at around 3pm each day four little egrets also flew in at the far end.
The raptors again seemed less active over the weekend, and unfortunately we saw no merlin or hen harrier (other than a brief glimpse at the far end of the reserve) from the hide. However, we could often spot a pair of peregrines in either of two large dead trees far out from the right (N) of the hide, and buzzards were constantly perched out on the various fence or gate posts. At several points over each day a juvenile marsh harrier was also flying low, quartering the fields further out from the hide- a close look showed it as being the one with a gunshot to the wing, although the broken primary feathers have now just been replaced by a gap in the feather line. Best of all was on the Sunday between around 11am and 12 noon when we saw some brilliant hunting activity- one peregrine started by flying low up and down over the far huddle of ducks, unwilling to take them from the ground so instead trying to scare them up. Efforts in vain, and ducks unwilling to move, we watched the peregrine for a short while fly back and forth before it was then joined by the juvenile marsh harrier, flying in from the fields further out. At first we thought both were flying right at each other, but each showed more interested in flying over the ducks. The hide was then filled, for a short while at least, with sound as each of us called out where one raptor had gone down, another had come up, or the direction either were flying in!
(photo: John Crispin)
Although I wasn't in the car park much on either day other people did see at least two brambling coming in to take seed from the feeding platforms. They were also joined by pied wagtail, reed bunting, chaffinch, and robin. Lots of snipe were apparently also feeding out in the fields NE from the car park, again most likely as the ground was less frozen. This led to action, as at one point a wisp of them was chased right overhead of the car park by (possibly the same juvenile) marsh harrier.
I lastly had a fine finish to each day (Saturday and Sunday), when just leaving at around 4:30pm there was a barn owl out hunting over the field north of the car park, and also across the sacrificial crop field (looking out from the car park viewing platform). Watching its brilliant white moving with sharp turns in the dimming light... what a fantastic end!!!