College Lake + Wilstone Again!- 13.3.16

Another flying visit to College Lake saw the 2 Black Swan in occupancy and presumably the Wilstone Oystercatchers but new for the year were 2 Redshank although there had been 6 reported.

Little Owl

Red-Legged Partridge

 

A walk around the entire reservoir at Wilstone saw some good noteworthy birds but nothing new for the patch year list. 2 Little Egret were on Drayton Bank, 70+ Fieldfare lifted off from trees near the hide after a Sparrowhawk got too close, a Treecreeper was my second of the year, what was presumably the male Shelduck from College Lake was on the water in front of the hide, the first 2 singing Chiffchaff of the year were by the hide and a Yellowhammer was singing along the dry canal. It was only when I was near the car park I bumped into another birder who asked if I'd seen the Little Owl by rushy meadow. I hadn't and I just walked past there! With time to spare I headed off there and thankfully picked it up straight away even though I'd been checking the area it was in for a while in the hope of finding one! As I was about to leave I heard a Red-Legged Partridge calling and eventually pinned it down to the same field as I had them in last year again despite looking there all year!