Cold, dry and sunny, light airs - En-route to the bird reserve there were three Cattle Egrets in the Cockles Bridge paddock and a Barn Owl quartering the frost-covered fields opposite the entrance, while there was no sign of yesterday`s Pink-footed Geese on the Boulderwall fields. The overnight temperature plummeted to -4C and many of the lakes on the reserve were frozen over except for Burrowes. In bright sunshine with an occasional zephyr the weather conditions were superb for a guided walk around the circular trail for eight RSPB volunteers. The trio of two Great Northern Divers and a Black-throated Diver were still on Burrowes from Dennis`s lookout with two birds approaching right underneath us affording good views as they caught tiny fish. All the usual wildfowl were noted on the lake including six Goldeneyes and five Shelducks, plus a distant perched Kingfisher. The hayfields attracted 10 Lapwings and half a dozen Common Snipes, while several hundred Wigeons and Coots were packed into a small patch of ice-free water on Dengemarsh lake. The highlight of the walk for us all were scope views of two gorgeous Bearded Tits as they picked up grit from the tray in Hooker`s reedbed; cracking birds which my pics do not do justice too. Elsewhere during the walk we recorded several Great White and Little Egrets, a Grey Heron, ten more Common Snipes, four Marsh Harriers, four Curlews and a Raven. Passerines were typically in short supply but did include several each of Blue and Great Tits, Robins and Blackbirds, two Stonechats, a Song Thrush and a Cetti`s Warbler, totalling a respectable 52 species of birds during the three hour walk.
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