Wednesday 30th January (A Short Trip in a Strong Wind)

On this mild but breezy day Mr. Kite and His Birding Campanion went on a short bird-watching tour. Plans a venturing far afield were thwarted by astrong wind that made cycling hard work. The Rea Brook was the first place where the ususal birds were present.

Then it was onto Sharpstone Quarry to watch flocks of linnet, chaffinch, goldfinch and meadow pipits fly around. In the fields nearby redwing, fieldfare and rooks fed in the field. By this time the wind was very strong and the light not too good so very little was spotted because of the conditions.

A brief visit to Springfield Mere was rewarded with mallard, coot and goosander but here again most birds seemed to be sheltering.

Lastly it was to the English Bridge to look at the flooded river where two mute swans sat in the low shelter of a willow tree and twenty four goosander drifted around before flying upstream.