Thursday 5th February

Out at lunchtime with Mike Easterbrook looking for Waxwings, but despite visiting all the usual haunts we didn't manage to find any. The churchyard had farm workers in all morning, thinning the apples, which may have kept them away. The earlier rain had dissolved most of the snow and there was a noticeable decline in the numbers of winter thrushes feeding around the base of the trees. The only birds of note in the churchyard orchard were a single Brambling, Green Woodpecker and Goldcrest.

Checking a few other locations potential Waxwing sites in the village yielded nothing, so we returned to work via Bradbourne House which still had a picturesque covering of snow. The Barnacle Goose was feeding on the lawn with the gaggle of Canada Geese. The Tawny Owl slept soundly in it's usual tree and a raft of new ducks were discovered on the lake; 2x Gadwall (drakes), 5x Tufted Duck (3 drakes) and a female Pochard - the latter two being new site ticks for me. A couple of Little Grebe drifted around the fringes and a Grey Heron perched high in one of the surronding willows. Just as we entered the car park near the main labs a couple of Lapwings rowed past heading east.