TIME: 13:55 - 16:20
WEATHER: Galeforce winds almost all the time with small lulls.
COMPANY: Myself and lots of members of a local RSPB group on a day trip from Mansfield.
LIFER: At long last, one of the common bird jinxes is over!!!!!! 3 BRAMBLINGS in bushes near car park, 1 at feeders!!!!
Brings me up to 164!
OTHER SPECIES SEEN:
Curlew - 3 over
Lapwing - 200 on lagoon
Black-tailed Godwit - 4
Bar-tailed Godwit - 1
Redshank - usuals on lagoon
Golden Plover - 1 large flock on shoreline
Oystercatcher - large flock on shoreline
Little Grebe - 12 on lagoon
Great Crested Grebe - 3 on sea
Little Egret - 2 near shoreline
Cormorant - 3 over
Mute Swan - 2 juveniles on lagoon
Brent Goose - 200 or so on shoreline
Canada Goose - 20 over on departure, 5 on lagoon
Black-headed Gull - usuals everywhere
Herring Gull - 4 calling together
Shelduck - many on shore line, 1 dead on lagoon island
Wigeon - few feeding on lagoon islands
Mallard - usuals
Blue Tit - 1
Goldfinch - 30
Greenfinch - 1 on feeder
Goldcrest - 3 hopping in bushes along pathway to hide
Fieldfare - 1 over lagoon, flushed from bushes
Robin - 1 near car park
Wren - 2 in bushes
Blackbird - 10
House Sparrow - 30 near car park
Tree Sparrow - 10 near car park
Starling - 1 on feeders
Rook - 200 in fields on way to reserve
Magpie - 3 getting buffeted by strong winds
Collared Dove - 3
Woodpigeon - 30 over, 1 on wetland
Mansfield crew reported Merlin, Sparrowhawk, Hen Harrier, Marsh Harrier and Red Kite earlier on in the day. They'd been there since 09:30!
My final birdwatching trip before the operating theatre, I welled up with tears in the bird hide as I packed up the scope and headed back to the car park ready for pickup...... please send me lots of messages, photos etc during my convalescence!!!!!!