Ingrebourne Valley Farm Trail Nov 30th

In common with most of Essex and parts of London, most of the country for that matter, the Valley was covered in the white stuff, great to look at but a nightmare for birds to find food. Walked the Farm Trail, the game crop as expected was packed with Finches and Buntings, no doubt it is these that has attracted the Merlin seen on the 27th.

Male Yellowhammer

 The fields were alive with Meadow Pipits trying to find food, an estimated count easily reaching 100 birds.

Gave the game crop a good hour hoping for the Merlin to reappear, had bought my big lense with me, it did not show in that time but had good numbers of other species seen.

Reed Bunting

 Yellowhammer – a minimum of 50 birds, very likely more

Chaffinch – 40, again possibly more

Reed Bunting – 120 at an estimate

Brambling – 3 including 1 well marked male

Skylark – 12 in with the Mipits

Golden Plover – 2 low over the field looking for somewhere to land

Lapwing – 40 top paddock

Redwing – a flock of 40 overhead

Fieldfare – 3 in with the Redwings

Common Snipe – 2 walked up from main path

Red Legged Partridge – 1 in the Gamecrop

Lesser Redpoll

 While walking back from the top paddock came across a flock of 22 Redpoll, managed to get a few photo’s, they all looked good for Lesser except for 1 that showed features of Mealy, unfortunately the photo that I took of it was crap. One that may have got away, looked good at the time.

                             Lesser Redpolls