The first thing I saw this morning through the kitchen window, apart from the snow, was a flock of Black Headed Gulls swirling and wheeling over the top end of the garden. Some seeming to come just an arms length or so from the house as they circled and circled, gradually plucking up courage to land on the snow where some left over scraps from yesterday afternoon would be their prize.
It's not until you stop and look that you realise how nice these birds are, especially in flight as they glide bouyantly, with just a few quick, effortless wing beats. I think the one above is a first winter bird and he did indeed share the prize despite being in competition, albeit briefly, with a huge Herring Gull which touched down for a second or two but was too nervous to stay so close to the house.
Carol and I walked back down to New Hythe today but there was little change from yesterday really. The Streamside lake is just about frozen over now and we wondered how the Bittern was coping with so much marginal reedbed being covered in ice. We saw all the usual species and three or four Common Snipe flying up from what pieces of muddy ditch or lakeside that are still available to them.
On Brookland lake we managed to relocate the Slavonian Grebe, a life tick for Carol and also yesterday's female Goldeneye. I think this bird might be the one that has recently been on the now completely frozen over Alders lake at the bottom of Lunsford Lane. Various small roving flocks of Longtailed Tits were seen with their usual cousins in attendance but although we heard a couple of possible Goldcrests calling amongst them none were seen.
The sunken marsh footpath was negotiated with appropriate care through the deep snow, so far untouched by human feet. There's something nice about being the first to leave tracks through it but the thought of putting a foot wrong on a now undefined path and ending up in a boggy ditch or bramble patch was a sobering one and eyes were mostly kept down. All we saw was a Redshank, three Lapwings and hundreds of berry stripping Redwings. The only other bird of note was a nice view of a Kingfisher which skimmed silently all the way across Abbey Mead lake about a foot above the surface, pity the sun wasn't out to show it in all it's glory.
The Blue Tit pictures below were taken by me yesterday in the small wood where the Treecreeper was. He was feeding earnestly, never stopping for more than a split second in his life or death search for sustenance and warmth. Not for him the opportunity to visit a well stocked peanut or sunflower heart feeder I guess.
