Us early risers were rewarded with a glorious sunrise which manifested as golden striations through the clouds formations. Mick had been bird ringing and reported capturing: Goldcrest, Robin and Blackbird. He noted the passage of Goldfinches and Chaffinches. Mick’s morning would be most productive as he also was to join the walling work party! I was soon to see for myself two charms each of eight of Goldfinches fly across South Field. I later viewed one of these coloured beauties perched on top of a top Sycamore tree in Quarry Field.
Meanwhile it was Saxon Field that produced a bounty of Chaffinches. I saw one performing a most repetitive call whilst others sang parts of their beautiful song. A Green woodpecker gave a splash of colour as it flew up from a scrub margin near the hay rake scrub cover. A pair of Magpies occupied the southern and western hedgerows of the field’s seaward face.
I was drawn across the meadows in pursuit of unauthorised drone operation and so to inspect the Quarry Field cattle troughs. Indeed troughs, puddles and the pond were covered in ice sheets. The freeze made the east to west drove easier to negotiate, unfortunately the same could not be said for the quarry field footpath. The pair of Blackbirds and solo Robin which flew in front of me were not concerned with the churned clay surface. From California Farm a Cockerel’s call rang out whilst I broke the water trough ice and removed as much of the ice sheets as my hands could bare!
It was a delight to see a Sparrowhawk fly across field one which was observed by a Buzzard perched upon an Elder on the western boundary. A trio of Herring gulls inspected the fields sward when I made my second pass.
It was a Wren which flew across my path on the North to South drove as I headed back to read the weather.