Wildfowl and Harrier Counts

Lade - 1000hrs- cold, sunny, nw3 - A cracking winters day for the monthly WeBS. Numbers down on last month apart from a large count of 487 Coots, most of them on north pit. Greater pecker, Chiffchaff and Cetti`s Warbler also noted.
Walland Marsh - 1445hrs - Had a drive around Walland with CP looking for a flock of 12 Bewick`s Swans without success, but did see a few Song Thrushes, Fieldfares, Green Woodpeckers and over 100 Curlews. Managed to dodge a heavy shower which resulted in a stunning rainbow. At the roost site raptors included 3 Buzzards, 2 ringtails, 2 Kestrels and a Merlin, plus 12 Marsh Harriers to roost. Also noted at least 20 Snipes, 200 Lapwings, 4 Pintails, a Golden Plover, 2 Stonechats and 4 Bewick`s Swans `bugling` overhead en-route to the safety of open water for the night. To finish on, a distant Barn Owl was the first one seen here for a while.

                                          Shovelers, Lade & Rainbow, Walland Marsh