And we're off...

Disappointed to have missed January, but so be it. Here's the summary from the first 2013 visit, last weekend. Highlights were few and far between but Wigeon, Goldeneye, Golden Plover, and Jay were welcome sightings.

Not great conditions for photos. This Kestrel at Lowthorpe was about as good as it got, and I had to fiddle like heck with the levels.

Saturday 2nd February

The morning was a bit of a disaster, horizontal snow cut the effort short, but a few birds were noted; 1 each of Grey Partridge, Heron, Buzzard, Kestrel, Barn Owl, Kingfisher, Skylark, Goldcrest. A party of Long-tailed Tits and a Stoat were the only other sightings of note.

Gembling/Foston: much better in the afternoon - sunshine even appeared. Around Gembling were 16 Canada Goose, 14 Wigeon, 20+ Teal, 40+ Mallard, 1 Tufted Duck, 1 Cormorant overhead, Sparrowhawk, Buzzard, 2 Kestrel, 8 Moorhen. Further along around Foston were 2 Gadwall, 4 Teal, 2 Tufted Duck, 1 Pochard, Little Grebe, Kestrel, 4 Coot, 5 Lapwing, Grey Partridge.

Around Kelk Lake at dusk were 18 Mallard, 14 Tufted Duck, 2 Goldeneye and a Woodcock.

Sunday 3rd February

Kelk Beck / Kelk: quite a good morning but quite hard work. 6 Mute Swan, a whopping 220+ Teal at Cattleholmes (easily a new site record!) with 50+ Mallard, 8 Grey Partridge, 4 Cormorant, 11 Grey Herons over the heronry, Buzzard, 2 Kestrel, 15 Golden Plover, Woodcock, 14 Herring Gull, 2 Great Black-backed Gull, 250+ Woodpigeon, 3 Fieldfare, 110+ Redwing together, 4 Tree Sparrow, 9 Yellowhammer, 1 Reed Bunting.

Harpham: a quick shuffle around Harpham again led to seeing the Barn Owl again (twice - presumed same one though). Also Heron, Buzzard, 2 Kestrel, flock of 62 Lapwing, a Great Spotted Woodpecker, 5 Fieldfare, 15+ Long-tailed Tit, and a Jay.

A total of 62 species were recorded, suffice to say this is well down on same time last year!