Longham Lakes PWC 7th February

Today I managed another visit to my other PWC site at Longham Lakes and Hampreston Fields with my son. We went early afternoon to avoid the rain that was forecast for approximately 3.00pm,it was very windy walking round south lake making it a little chilly in this wind. Walking long the cause way and looking out across the North lake I was surprised to see the Pochard back again though not many 14 counted on this lake and one found up by the small island on South lake making a total of 15 Pochard seen.
The Hampreston fields were flooded again and these contained lots of gulls in fact I tried counting them and got to 153 of a mixture of Herring, Great Black-backed and Black-headed Gulls but there was a lot more BHG that I did not count and a group out on the lake,  so I would of thought there would of been possible c180/200 gulls out on the fields it was a impressive group.There was 42 Mallards with 28 of them on the flooded fields while standing here scanning the fields and the large Island a flock of 14 Shoveler came flying in and dropped in to the flooded pools.

Sleepy Pochard

   

We made our way along the west path scanning the scrub and wood on our right for any birds, as three birds still allude me at this site and they are Nuthacth, Treecreeper and Bullfinch which the latter I saw last year. At the top south west corner I found a Chiffchaff catching flies flitting in and out of the scrub, along with a Blue Tit and a Great Tit. We continued onwards toward the island and suddenly I found a Buzzard soaring towards us making this my first new bird of the month for the list.

East Path leading back to the car

Walking back down the east side of the lake there was not much else about except for a couple of feral pigeons which can go on the list which is good as it will give me an extra point. The one thing of interest I did find was right in the waters edge among the winter reed was a large patch of frogs spawn.

 

 

Frog Spawn

The species list now stands at 48 and a 49 species points
today's bird and some counts as follows

Redwing - 10
Pochard - 15
Great Crested Grebe
Teal - 19
Tufted Duck - 30
Canada Goose - 4
Gadwall - 14
Mallard - 42
Kestrel - 1
Little Egret - 2
Moorhen - 2
Shoveler - 14
Chiffchaff - 1
Blue Tit - 1
Great Tit -1
Buzzard -1
Feral Pigeon - 2
Cormorant - 5