It was fine weather when our hardy, clear-eyed winter WeBS surveyors counted, mid-month, (including RSPB Dosthill): black-headed gull (11), buzzard (2), canada goose (123), common tern (1), coot (361), cormorant (22), gadwall (119), great crested grebe (22), grey heron (4), greylag goose (11), hobby (2), kestrel (1), kingfisher (2), lapwing (46), lesser black-backed gull (1), little grebe (7), mallard (148), moorhen (35), mute swan (59), pochard (12), shoveler (19), snipe (1), teal (36), tufted duck (148), water rail (1), wigeon (55).
Other birds seen recently: barnacle goose, blackcap, buzzard, house martin (flying over), goosander, little egret, little ringed plover, peregrine, snipe (more coming in), spotted flycatcher (seen around the lake from just beyond Fishers Mill viewpoint).
A visitor told us about a kingfisher that was seen flying north-south across Fishers Mill lake, then it veered west towards the canal into the direction of the silt pool. It knew where it was going. It probably would vary its route in order to avoid any watching birds of prey. Perhaps its mum said 'keep low and fast – beak forward.' :-))
A stoat and a fox have been seen separately walking the tracks.
Then of course the rains came – but the water fowl don't mind.