Saturday 11th January 2014

Weather :- blue, sunny skies but cold nip in the air

Woods :- Usually suspects blue/great and long tailed tits, woodpigeons, carrion crows, etc. Moorhen and male mallard on pool in Doulton Clay Pit.

Reservoir :- mallards, coots, mute swan cygnet, great crested grebe, black-headed gulls and a cormorant.

Netherton Hill :- grey heron by pools bottom of hill. Great-spotted woodpecker flew over. Otherwise magpies, carrion crows, 3 buzzards showing well, goldfinch, robin,blackbirds.

Canal :- 9 moorhens (2 of which looked like last year young), mallards. 5 grey squirrels on the opposite bank. And a flash of blue of a kingfisher flying past. Did what they do best and disappeared, spent ages looking, especially on the way back to the woods. Even with 2 of us looking, just didn't re-appear. 

Marshes :- a quick walk down to the marshes, behind the cattle bridge, showed female bullfinch and more dunnock.

First pink flowers appeared, just haven't identified it yet. 

Someone decided that it was too sunny and speak no evil needed a sun hat.

Looks like a hedge, but actually moss on a tree trunk.