Christmas report

Pete Lambert Wrote Yesterday:

Did manage walks round the Marsh since my last report on 22 December, but didn't manage to find time to send details round. Here's a quick summary.

Wednesday 22 December.
Snow and ice still on the ground and saw 5 shoveler, all males. Two were standing on the ice on the Lee Navigation just south of Stonebridge Lock, while the other three were feeding in the channel just east of this Lock. Probably 3 separate chiffchaff calling at various places around the Marsh. Finally a record 21 gadwall seen from the Chalk Bridge in the channels NE and E of the bridge.

Friday 24 December.
17 fieldfare flew high west over Clendish Marsh at 9.04am, there was a green sandpiper feeding in Pymmes Brook just north of the bridge by the Gasometer at WM West and a female shoveler just north of the Green Bridge. Then as I left the Marsh at 10.39, loads of crows called over the houses east of me as they chased a buzzard NW over the houses and on over Banbury Reservoir.

Monday 27 December.
Very gloomy as I walked towards the Marsh and very icy underfoot. As a result, on the footpath east of Wild Marsh East by the allotments at 8.31am, I was looking down at my feet rather than up in the sky when I heard the long trill of a waxwing! Looked up to see two "starling-like" shapes going west overhead and on across Wild Marsh East. Got my bins on them, but only saw one bird from behind, and couldn't then see colour of plumage. Waxwing somewhere, and probably these two birds were them, but couldn't be sure. Interestingly, other movement as well with a jackdaw East over WM East at 8.54am and 5 lapwing east over WM West at 10.59. 4 shovelers in the channel east of Stonebridge Lock and 14 redwing east at Stonebridge Wood. Three different goldcrests seen.

Thursday 30 December.
A much quieter day with all the ice and snow gone from the ground, although most of the Lee Navigation still frozen. 3 male shoveler still in the channel east of Stonebridge Lock and a single mistle thrush (a rarity here) flew SE over Clendish Marsh, perching in the trees by the allotments and singing briefly before flying on SE towards the reservoirs. This made my 10th species of bird singing this morning - wren, robin, song thrush, mistle thrush, wood pigeon, dunnock, great tit, chaffinch briefly, and then collared dove and starling on my way too and from the Marsh. Is this because the days are getting longer now?

DMC