Cool, overcast, dry, NE 4 - For today`s Ted outing we had a change of scene, spending a long morning on the farmland tracts across Walland that included a three hour circular wander around a section of the Marsh. It was slim pickings and tough going in a brisk Arctic airflow that suppressed bird song somewhat. However, numerous Reed Warblers chugged away in the reed-fringed sewers and reed-beds along with lesser numbers of Sedge and Cetti`s Warblers, Reed and Corn Buntings and even fewer Skylarks, Linnets, Yellowhammers, Goldfinches and Yellow Wagtails. Two family parties of Bearded Tits showed close by and several Marsh Harriers and Buzzards were noted; while a pair of Lapwings had chicks abroad judging by the way they were mobbing a Carrion Crow. Several Grey Herons and Little Egrets stalked the ditches and a White Stork sailed high overhead towards Scotney. At a couple of points along the way I deviated to check clumps of trees for Tree Sparrow or Turtle Dove but all I could find were the odd one or two singing Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Lesser or Common Whitethroats and a distant Cuckoo.
Back at the car I then spent an hour or so driving to various points across Walland scanning fields of peas, maize and spuds for any grounded passage waders but all I could find was a scattering of gulls, corvids, Woodpigeons and Stock Doves. A few more Yellowhammers were noted, another Cuckoo, a `purring` Turtle Dove near the solar farm and a Little Owl at Wheelsgate. The farmland was bone dry throughout and when trudging along the crop tramlines it felt like walking on concrete!
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