At last a couple of short trips

I will be digging into Pintail records some time this weekend, to compare records of staying birds. I can see at a glance it is not always clear, as birds don't always get recorded on consecutive days.

The current Pintail is on it's 8th day, yesterday at LFGP, today back on Tern scrape. Good grief today's cold conditions were a shock to the system. Wigeon around in good numbers, maybe a further jump. 30-40 Lavell's, 20-30+ Sandford, 150-170+ BSL and by no means a comprehensive count, so could well be 250 across all the lakes. Teal 26, Shoveler 29, Gadwall uncounted.

No Snipe, this has been the case for days now, perhaps the farmer tending his sheep has messed things up, I expect he'll be removing them pretty soon...I hope.

Various flocks of Fieldfare about now, 40+ yesterday, 25 today around Lavell's.

I meant to mention my Teal on 12th Oct at Woodford Park, not DP of course, but this is the second unlikely and shy species I have seen there, having  pair of Shoveler in November 2013.

So Pintail, let me copy in the database notes for birds with multiple, consecutive, or near consecutive dates;

2012
February:2/8th (2m) LFGP 09:15 (Nick Kightley), 3 (2m,1f) @ 13:25 (FJC et al), 2/9th pair LFGP til dusk, often hidden. 3/10th LFGP, 1/11th near green bridge (SPD), 1/12th LFGP, 2/14th LFGP flew over SW corner, dropped on Emmbrook (RNM)

2009
Sept:2/11th, 2 f/imms Sandford for 20 seconds (TAG). 2/14th, 1 Sandford, 1 Lea Fm GP (FJC), 1/16th, imm f Lea Fm GP 18:45 (FJC & BTB & TJa). 1/17th, imm f Sandford (TAG & FJC), LFGP later

Nov:1/14th, Ad female LFGP with Mallard (FJC, ARy & TAG), 1/19th LFGP (FJC), 1/'23rd Lavell's (FJC), 1/26th Tern scrape (FJC)

2006
Jan:1/12th, Lavell's, female by island reed bed (FJC). 1/19th, Lavell's, female on bund (ARy & MFW), 1/30th, Lavell's (PBT). Feb:2/11th Lea Farm Pit with Mallard, 1/16th LFGP (ADB), 1/28th LFGP (MFW). March: 2/6th, LFGP (MFW), 2/8th (MFW), 2/11th (T G Ball), 2/22nd (MFW), 1/31st (T G Ball). Apr:1/5th LFGP (MW), 1/6th BSL tame female with injured leg (T Keene), 1/10th, female (MFW), 1/23rd still picnic area BSL (PBT)

2005
Sep:1/2nd, f (MFW) & 1/4th, 1/12th to 18th & 1/21st.

1987
Jan:1/18th, male BSL, 1/24th, 2/25th, 1m +1m over, 1/29th, male, Feb:1/1st & 2nd

1984
Jan to Mar:2, a pair (RC) Sandford/BSL? details rather vague

So I hope the above shows what I think is the issue, that Pintail are mobile and whilst many dates are spread out, it is likely individuals do linger in the general area sometimes, but not always at DP, making consecutive date records very uncommon.