Tuesday 10th January (Back to Floreat Salopia)


Mr. Kite looked out of his bedroom window into a grey and white cloudy sky. In the north-east a few 'holes in the cloud' were edged with pink showing that the sun was there somewhere. The trees were bare but the buds had grown a little and waited for the sunlight to increase and the temperature to rise before springing into life.

On this mild January morning a spider was building a web on Mr. Kite's bay window. Wood pigeons, carrion crows and starlings could be seen flying around. With temperatures approaching double figures it was slightly springlike.

Towards Polemere


In the pleasant sunshine Mr. Kite headed towards Polemere via The Quarry. On the swollen River Severn lots of mallards waited to be fed by the 'mothers and toddlers' with bread whilst twelve goosander helped themselves to River Severn sprats. The brown dirty river was more like 'fish soup'.

Cycling on the road to Cruckton Mr. Kite stopped to watch a Merlin fly low over a hedge and along the edge of a field. This time nothing was disturbed or caught by the brown marauding raptor. In the far corner of the field two black pheasants, that had avoided the Xmas shoot, were feeding.

Mr. Kite then reached Polemere for the first time this year. The water level was lower than normal and there was life on the water. A spring of teal in fine winter colours, a sord of mallard in an amorous mood and a pair of wigeon were cavorting in the winter sunshine. One mute swan, one greylag and a farmyard goose added a sizable presence to water  and a moorhen with clean green legs strutted around the outside of the water.

Wood pigeons fed in the vegetable in a nearby field and a common buzzard inspected future places to nest. In the pleasant warmth Mr. Kite scanned the water, the hedges, the fields and the sky to identify other species. Every bird was checked at least twice but Mr. Kite could not pick out any other species.

After an hour Mr. Kite cycled slowly to Lea Cross, Annscroft and Condover looking for birds. Chaffinch, bullfinch, great tits and blue tits were common. The field had plenty of corvids. With the air chilling and more grey cloud overhead Mr. Kite went home to enjoy a Tetley tea. Cheers from Mr. Kite who had a very pleasant day watching birds.