Lade - cold, dry and sunny, e 5 - The past couple of days have been pretty similar weather wise with a dominant high pressure system over Scandinavia delivering a fiercely biting east wind off the continent and sub-zero daytime temperatures. The frost has hardened the ground and even the garden pond has frozen over for the first time in many a winter. The garden bird table and seed hangers have been busy with the usual House Sparrows, Collared Doves, Woodpigeons and Starlings while the ground feeders have appreciated me raking over the ground underneath the pine trees, attracting Robin, Blackbird, Dunnock and Wren to forage on invertebrates.
A raw-bone wind has desiccated the gorse and broom outback on the shingle making it tinder-dry and devoid of any obvious life; although there are probably one or two tardigrades lurking amongst the mosses and lichens somewhere. The badger family from the large sett beside south lake must be having a tough time as I noticed one heading down the road towards the beach last night, no doubt to forage the strandline for food a common practice hereabouts. Yesterday two Goosanders on north lake were flushed by a passing Marsh Harrier and flew towards the reserve where they were reported a while later, otherwise it`s just the same five Goldeneyes of note along with 200 Teal, although the Wigeon flock from earlier in the week has moved on. The beach has been very difficult to watch due to the eye-watering wind, but it was good to see up to 20 Ringed Plovers still present between the Tavern and the boardwalk today.
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