The Bourne meanders

This was one of the nicer afternoons of February, although not as warm as the previous two days.  So I took the footpath through the College's equine unit until I reached the meadow just upstream through which the River Bourne meanders. The beautiful meadow and the river meanders edged with alders are just gorgeous, even in the thin winter sunshine of a February afternoon.

The occasional clump of snowdrops brightens the banks. Here you can also see the "witches broom" of some of the alder bases - a few have this dense thicket effect that may be physiological.

Saturday gulls at Barden

Lots of black-headed gulls on the lake today - is it because its Saturday? Several more now wearing their brown hoods. Two Common Gulls as well. Usual Mallard (the rufus-sided one included), several mating season flights going on, Tufted Duck, and the two Farmyard Ducks with a cormorant flying overhead twice (or two birds?) and a pair of Great Crested Grebe showing very well indeed.

Canada Geese (looking as though things are moving along) and I was glad to see the Greylag hybrid back again. One Mute Swan. Coot, including the regular mottled bird, and several pairs of Moorhen.

Robins and Great Tits singing. Chaffinches, Blackbirds and Blue Tits around.

Scandi readiness

Several hundred fieldfares, Turdus pilaris, with a couple of redwings, Turdus iliacus iliacus, a dozen or so blackbirds, Turdus merula, and about 70 starling, Sturnus vulgaris, were on Gipsy and Rhubarb fields this afternoon. Overall it was quite a sight!

 Looked as though the fieldfares are going for a protein rich diet before heading off back to Scandinavia. Warren reported over a hundred on the sheep field at Migrant Alley in the morning.

Breeds in small colonies.

A pair of greylag flew together over Gipsy, one mainly white on the body with really only a grey neck and the pair were later seen on the ground in Great Court. A kestrel flew low over Rhubarb, putting the fieldfares up into the trees.

A small group of great tits were noisy in the newer trees along 123 towards Victoria Road, and later through the ash trees between the two fields.