Today I decided to visit two of my favorite birding sites. First stop was Holywell Pond. There was no sign of any wintering Geese yet. I was lucky however to experience some impressive views of two Buzzards not far from the trust hide. There was a third Buzzard flying near the Obelisk at the back of the pond. On the pond itself, there were 125-130 Teal, 3 Little Grebe, 1 Tuftie and a pair of Gadwall and Wigeon. There were also reports in the hide log of Kingfisher, Little Owl, Pintail and Med Gull for the past week. I also enjoyed regular views of a large Hawker dragonfly.
Next stop was the Rising Sun Country Park, including Swallow Pond. There was no sign of any wintering thrushes such as Redwing, however Blackbirds were out in large numbers enjoying the plentiful berries. There were also lots of Carrion Crows, Rooks and Magpies today. The pond itself was unusually quiet, with only Gulls and Moorhens in sight. Elsewhere there were three groups of 5-7 Goldcrests and 1 Grey Heron flying over the trees.
The highlight of my visit was a beautiful Comma, which is one of my favourite Butterflies. On my way back to the car I also glimpsed the resident Red Deer, which was absent it’s antlers.
Paul Buskin