Back in Lincs 27/2 - 1/3

Went home for the weekend, giving me the chance to enjoy heartbreak in the rugby on Friday night amongst other things. With the Great White Egret still knocking about in the area (and apparently having been seen on Thursday on the patch), I decided to put some time in to relocating this bird, but ultimately failed. Having said that, one or two decent bits were seen, and I can't get over just how Little Egrets are now expected winter fayre! Sightings over the weekend:

27/2
Deeping Bypass: Little Egret
Katesbridge: 2 (m&f) Goosanders on the River Glen
Baston & Langtoft Pits: Nordic Jackdaw (3) by the Cross Drain, and a Tufted Duck x Pochard hybrid; superficially Tufted-like, but very dark grey mantle as opposed to black, pale grey flanks, and lack of 'tuft'.

28/2
Baston & Langtoft Pits:
3 Mealy Redpolls by Gull Pit
7 Little Egrets
3 Pink-footed Geese in fields north of Grummit's Scrape
2 (m&f) Ruddy Shelducks on the New Works
Tufted Duck x Pochard hybrid: different bird to yesterday; deep reddish-purple head, orange eye, mid-dark grey mantle, pale grey flanks, intermediate size between the two species - probably the regular Deeping Lakes individual relocating

1/3
BLGP: c.30 Siskins, 2+ Mealy Redpolls still, c.10 Lesser Redpolls, 1 Green Sandpiper, 4+ Little Egrets, 4 Shelducks, 2 Nordic Jackdaws, 1 singing Corn Bunting, 1 Pink-footed Goose and the hybrid Tufted Duck x Pochard, which had relocated to the Ocean
Thurlby Fen: c.40 Yellowhammers, 1 Brambling and 1 Buzzard


1st-winter male Mealy Redpoll, Baston & Langtoft Pits, 1st March 2009



Mealy Redpoll detail - note the pointed tail feathers indicating a second calendar-year bird.

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