MORNING VISIT TO SUTTON BINGHAM AND LATER A WALK TO PAVYOTTS LANE
WEATHER: a cold and frosty morning, bright sunshine with patchy clouds, no wind. Temp 1-5C
What a superb crisp winter’s morning, a thick frost covered the grass and a bright blue sky beckoned, it was an absolutely still morning too, don’t you just love those days?
I was eager to get out early so I decided to use the car for only the second time this year and drive the 2 miles to Sutton Bingham for a quick visit before we went for our usual morning walk. I parked at the edge of the main causeway and set up my scope for a scan. The water was like a mirror, absolutely stock still, it was amazing with the sky reflecting perfectly from the water.
sky reflection taken from the causeway at Sutton Bingham
A layer of mist lay over the water and gave it a mystical, eerie look. I quickly found a flock of Wigeon, with a few Teal and about 15 Canada Geese, all three of these species were new for my February list. Only three Black-headed and two Herring Gulls were present but I did see a fair few Great Cormorants and about a dozen Great Crested Grebes.
Great Crested Grebes, I think they have had a tiff in the mist
Walking about 50 meters I got in a position where I could scope the whole of the west pool, there I found my first Grey Heron of the month, some Mallards, Moorhen and another pair of Teal. I didn’t stay long because we were due to go for a walk at 9:30am.
Grey Heron on the West Pool looking very dapper in his spring outfit
another Great Crested Grebe at Sutton Bingham
Dawn’s sister Celia turned up on time and all three of us walked up through Barwick Village and spent some time walking around Pavyotts Lane in bright sunshine, it even felt warm at times.
In the large very muddy cow-field we saw just 7 Golden Plover and a distance flock of some 20+ Lapwings that were flying around beyond the cow field. The Potato field was a very busy place, I counted 89 Fieldfares with even more Redwings, there were smaller numbers of Starlings, Jackdaws and Crows. A family party of Ravens turned up making a lot of noise and along the hedges I noted Chaffinch, Robin, Dunnocks and a Song Thrush was singing from afar.
Fieldfare in a typical 'thrush pose' with wings dropped
Other birds in song today included, Dunnock, Robin, Goldfinch, Mistle Thrush and a Blackbird, it definitely felt like a spring morning. Dawn and Celia walked ahead of me whilst I set up the scope by the dung heap in the stubble field, the usual Grey Wagtail joined a few Pied Wagtails with Meadow Pipits around the dung heap. I also saw a small party of Linnets but not much else, it was busy with walkers and dogs. What do you called a group of 14 Magpies?...... A lot!! Don't think I have seen that many together for a long time.
I'm short of pictures today so you will have to endure a second Fieldfare shot
We walked back the way we came and reached home just after 12noon, just in time to watch my favourite football team on the telly. We were going to take another walk in the afternoon but it clouded over and began to rain so that put an end to our plans.