Mistle Thrush etc

I went looking for Coal Tit along the old Colemansmoor Road section from the aviation museum to Sandford Mill, but could not hear any. Instead I had c10 Long-tailed Tit, 2 Goldcrest, Nuthatch and a few other tits.
On to MAC where I heard a Pied Wagtail, with sailing on, all the ducks were absent and I went on to DP Centre for another go at House Sparrow, but they eluded me for a while, instead I found a Mistle Thrush on the golf course, plus c20 Fieldfare, 2-3 Redwing and 2 Green Woodpecker. The House Sparrow called as I drove along Davis Street, at the temporary lights. Now on 67 from the 73 known to have been recorded, but not including Grey Wagtail, Tawny Owl, Skylark, or Great Black-backed Gull.

Bittern reliable as ever

We have had annual wintering Bittern without fail since 27th Jan 2002 and this has involved over 33 birds, of which I have seen at least 31 of. So today's bird was kind of expected, guaranteed, so to speak and as the two other good friends of mine said "how come nobody else is here?" my only answer is "I guess it's too easy to get Bittern at DP now, so people leave it until the weekends?". Who knows.
This Bittern is a contrast of much extensive dark centres to feathers of body plumage, but paler brown overall, no rufus tones and may even be a returning bird?
I joined Brian for a Barn Owl wait, but got bored just after the Snipe called as it departed Tern scrape Brian scored about 20 minutes after I left.
My main off site news was at 17:10 as I got out of my car after pulling in my drive, I heard a large flock of geese passing over, even seeing 100+ silhouetted birds moving SW/SSW at no more than 250/300 feet, by the noises they were making, I would say they were Pink-footed Geese, probably 200+, which if proven right with any flock turning up anywhere between here and Hampshire, will be amazing.

2013 start

Managed to get out by 08:20 and get Nuthatch calling in the MAC car park within moments, Greylag called over BSL, 4 Ring Necked Parakeet over, a Reed Bunting, Little Grebe from Bittern Hide, 3 later LFGP and 1 WSL, meant good numbers for time of year. Then Cetti's called way back on main island. Moving onto LFGP 4-5 Meadow Pipit was nice, then Little Egret over Lavell's towards LFGP concluded a quite good 2.5 hours. Later I picked up Fieldfare on golf course and Kingfisher WSL, but left before Bittern showed.

Farewell 2012

An awesome year, so many great birds, 2 firsts for the park, 3 DP lifers, including finding my own Wryneck but missed hearing the Quail call once. And nobody saw the Common Crane flying West to East along the A4 6th May. Ah well Otmoor pulls them about annually now, so we'll get another chance....I hope.
I also hoped in vain for Smew, but found none on my Sandford, BSL, WSL loop, just 80+ Pochard, 40+ Tufted Duck 40+, 2 Goldeneye. The Grey Heron hunched and faced into the blustery wind and looked...cold.

Flooded but passable

Simon called to say he wasn't sure the grebe he was looking at was a Little, so I went and had a look saw an Adult winter Little Grebe and nice to know we have an easy one for the 1st, also checking in at Bittern Hide, now passable, no grebes there, but a Greylag was worth noting for Tuesday.

Stormy weather stops play

A lunchtime dash around the car park, was met with strong winds and gusts, raining and getter heavier. Flood levels dropped to allow passing in wellies. 300+ Lapwing on and over the landfill, 500+ BH Gulls, 300+ Starlings, a few Herring and then a lone Great Black-backed Gull over.
Still handfulls of Redwing in the car park field Blackthorns, not much to hear above the noise of the wind in the trees. Probably 70-80+ Pochard on Sandford, but left as weather got worse.
The trip to the car park at dusk was pretty grey and rainy, a few Redwing were heading into Lavell's, probably no more than 30. Interesting sharp thrush notes in roost pressumably the Redwing.
2 Goldcrest went by, but nothing more. A tiny break in the cloud made my pic look much brighter than it really was.

Nice flooded fields wrong time of day

A short walk past Redwood Lake then a quick circle of a fairly flooded Mortimer's Meadow produced nothing but 4 Pied Wagtail on the pool edges. The boggyness of it all made me wonder if Snipe come in to feed after dark. I'll see if I can make time to find out before it dries up over the next week.
Pools like this could pull a Water Pipit and Jack Snipe nearby...............more likely if I managed the area as a private nature reserve. Oh well not for now then.

 I drove down to Sandford to see if it is passable yet, probably tomorrow I reckon.