Tetworth WeBS/ Duck Hunt, 18 January

Four SFYT's this morning from the Tetworth Estate; from the sublime - Merlin, to the ridiculous - Feral Pigeon. Also, an amazing 82+ Snipe, with at least one Jack Snipe amongst them, although at times it was difficult to keep up, as there were so many birds in the air at once. I was surprised that no Teal were present, (there were 60+ late last year), although this does seem consistent with events elsewhere - wildfowl have just 'gone.' [Edit- just had an email from the Estate Manager, who tells me he hasn't seen any Teal for three weeks.]

This seems a little counter-intuitive - they were present before the New Year and generally it has been mild, so what has prompted this wildfowl exodus?

Now SFYL 76, zero-carbon 75.

Atb,

DOM

GK 3

Yesterday (20th) at Myers Farm Reservoir, north of Potton, I finally self-found-carbon-free-year-ticked Greenshank, then today at Tetworth Hall Wetlands, another two were present.

That takes me to 137 - already surpassing last year's total and nudging me (temporarily, I suspect), into third place.

DOM

GH

Thought I had blown this one too. Today, I flushed one out of a ditch at Myers Farm near Potton. I must have visited this site 20+ times at dawn and dusk looking for them, so can only assume that this one was on migration. Saw it well in flight, then it started to scold me from the dense herbage.

So following CS and YG at Tetworth on Saturday and GH today, I am now on 128 self-found, zero-carbon (136 total) - the only list that really matters to me. Game on Messrs Bashford and Grimsey (although I suspect Mr Lynch will be right in the mix when he updates his total).

Tetworth is sure to score me some ticks this autumn...

ATB,

DOM