Thursday 2 December 2010

Twite battle for food

Heysham Obs
The feeding area was limited by the snow and there was a veritable noisy, bad-tempered scrum of Twite - more like the behaviour in spring as the territorial hormones get going

North harbour wall
Twite - 38, all but 3 ringed
Med Gull - single adult
Red-throated Diver - one offshore (& 15 Great-crested Grebe in the 20 minutes observation of dropping tide)

Early pm circuit of Heysham NR
Much reduced thrushes (only 15 Blackbird seen) with the only 'notable' being calling Water Rail(s) by the dipping pond.  A Long-tailed Tit flock only comprised three birds - surely not decimated this early in the mini-ice-age part 2?