There weren't many visitors to the park on Monday 21st with so much snow having fallen the day before. The park was still covered with at least three and a half inches of snow and there was still a chilly breeze blowing.
The shrubby sea-blite bushes at the Point were covered in the snow and the east facing side of the red sign indicated which way the snow had been blowing. On the nearby mudflats 100 wigeon were resting, while 40 avocets were also roosting. Not much in the river other than 4 great crested grebes and a red-breasted merganser flying past. In the saltmarsh 12 skylarks were foraging amongst the snow, while a little egret flew overhead.
Tried looking for woodcock but without any luck. During periods of snow last winter, up to three woodcock were seen on several occasions, being forced into the open to feed during daylight hours. A dozen lapwings and a few golden plovers were seen in the grazing fields.
The park pond was two thirds frozen with gadwall, mallard, teal, shoveler, coots, mute swans, little grebes being joined by a couple of tufted duck and 20 wigeon. The big surprise was seeing a fox sitting down on the ice in the middle of the pond with lots of ducks just out of reach but close-by. In the nearby field a dozen snipe were probing amongst the snow along with 20+ moorhens.
Under the trees a redwing was feeding in the leaf litter along with 20 blackbirds, while a goldcrest was seen foraging through the branches.
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