BRIEF PARK WALK

The sun came out only briefly on Friday 16th but generally it was dull for most of the day at the country park. The park pond pictured above, had about 80 ducks on it with 50 mallard, 15 shoveler, 4 gadwall, 5 tufted duck, 4 wigeon joined by the pair of mute swans and several coot.

On a brief walk round the park in the afternoon coinciding with a high tide, the only waders seen were on the grazing fields. Twenty four black-tailed godwits fed in a group while dotted around the big flooded pool were six redshank. In the second field up to 50 lapwings were gathered while the 200+ wigeon had been feeding on the fields but got spooked off. A pair of stock doves sat up in the usual oak tree at the back of the fields.

The flock of 300 brent geese circled around the big wheat field on the west side of the park but didn't stay around. A redwing and 2 song thrushes have joined the 12 or so blackbirds feeding in the area of the car park.

On Tuesday the barn owl was seen early in the morning around Bromans Lane both perched on a fence and then a short while later hunting over nearby long grass. Martin Cock and Mick Brewer saw the 3 snow buntings on the beach near the park. Later at Rewsalls they saw the short-eared owl, little owl, 140 great crested grebes and a Slavonian grebe. At Maydays there were views of 6 corn buntings but few other small birds and one of the usual marsh harriers.