Taking the dog to work has the advantage of ensuring I get out, whatever the weather. And so today it proved to be worthwhile.
A pre-work visit to Neumann’s was uneventful, with just the usual waterfowl to show. Come lunchtime I was yet again at the Old Hall - the only person around as it snowed - but was rewarded with all 10 hawfinches up in the poplars. Amazing. Ten were seen a few weeks ago, so it seems this is the peak count and surely the largest flock in Cheshire for decades.
Better was to come later. Greg had seen a bittern yesterday evening, so I thought I’d give it a go. Malc soon joined me in the cold and we waited. Four whooper swans on the mere were a bonus (they’d been seen over NF earlier), and 6 goosander and 2 goldeneye were on the water. Water rails squealed and a female sparrowhawk sat by the reeds, anticipating a starling sized meal. Sure enough a few thousand starlings appeared and surged, but quickly headed off (to NF perhaps), and the light contained to deteriorate. Just as we were about to give up, a bittern climbed into view and showed superbly for a few minutes before becoming more obscured. It was actively fluffing up it’s neck feathers, which seemed unusual until we realised there was a second bittern a few metres away. Fantastic!
There’s life in the old patch yet!
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