Cold at last

The mild weather has meant that the yearlist is building slowly, the only addition this weekend was a flyover Meadow Pipit that was heard only, The good news is that it was very cold this morning, the patch carpeted with frost that promised much but delivered little. On the basin a flock of 11 Canada Geese was the largest gathering for a very long time, they were accompanied by four Greylags, the first multiple count of the year, the whole lot departed east in one flock mid morning, Mute Swans were also on the move, two separate flocks of three moved downriver early on. Shelduck numbers have dropped slightly, 18 were on the basin and two were at Bow Creek, Tufted Duck numbers continue to increase with 44 present today and Common Teal numbers were well up with circa 340 present at high tide, the majority on the basin while the female Pintail continues to add variety at Bow Creek. High tide was at dusk this evening and I just managed to count 18 Redshank and three Common Sandpipers before the light went. Apart from the aforementioned Meadow Pipit passerines were thin on the groung, a Song Thrush was singing in the ecology park at dusk and at least four Reed Buntings were feedibg in the pylon reedbed late morning.