Cleethorpes boating lake

Eight shoveller on boating lake this morning.

Also, the black swan has returned.

I spotted it this morning with the big herd of Mutes at Thoresby Bridge, but it was gone by 15.30. The saga continues!

Pete

The black Swan was sighted in a field  at Tetney, in the company of the mutes. It was noted by a Facebook member called Laurels Wood. This FB user has web cams up around her site that monitor nesting Barn owls, but she also has Kestrels, Badgers and various other wildlife frequent her wood.

7 shoveller (4 drakes) roosting on icy boating lake this morning 

For all this month, there have been up to 12 pochard, but this morning I saw none.

The black swan seems to come and go. At 3.05 pm yesterday, I saw it flying south over the saltmarsh in the close company of four mute swans. I lost sight of it just before they reached Tetney Lock.

On the buckthorn fringe of the outer beach there have been c20 redwings over the past few days, presumably waiting for a favourable wind to help them on their journey home.

Some 50 skylarks and a few linnets were feeding on the sand today, but no sign of any snow buntings - they have been few and far between so far this winter.

Also of note in the buckthorn today were c30 yellowhammers, 3 stonechats, 3 robins, 1 wren , 4 chaffinches , 2 song thrushes, 3 reed buntings, 12 magpies  and 1 pheasant.

On the saltmarsh, there were 100+ redshank and two snipe.