Finches Galore

Bough Beech

07:00 - 10:30 Cloudy with some brightness later light airs

It was still dark when I arrived at the reservoir but all ready there was a cacophony of birds calling, Canada and Greylag Geese honked noisily on the water which drowned out most of the other birds calls. Gadwall could be heard and hundred Jackdaws and Crows added to this unusual dawn chorus.
As it got light enough to see 8 Egyptian Geese flew in followed by 9 Mandarin, 18 Goosanders swam out from their roost and promptly flew of.
Then it seemed almost simultaneously all the birds that use the reservoir as safe haven during the hours of darkness took to the air as they all left for their preferred feeding grounds. The sky was full of Geese, Corvids and Gulls all noisily calling as they departed, a wonderful spectacle to see. Two Wigeon, Shoveler, Teal, Pochard, Tufties, Gadwall, Great-crested Grebe and 4 Meadow Pipits were all seen from the causeway.
I then walked down the road to the now defunct visitor centre to check out the feeders that are thankfully still being topped up, 5 species of Tits including a single Marsh were all on the feeders along with Nuthatch, Great-spotted Woodpeckers and Chaffinch other birds noted here included 2 Buzzards, Kestrel and 2 Bullfinch.
I then drove about a mile Northeast of the reservoir and stopped near to Scollops Farm, an area of mixed arable fields, small woods and hedgerows. Here large flocks of finches were flying about and landing on the tops of the trees and hedges, amongst them were at least 100+ Brambling, 20+ Yellowhammers, 50+ Linnets, 200+ Chaffinch, Gold and Greenfinch, a few Reed Bunting and 2 Skylarks. A bit further along about 100 Siskins were feeding the Alders and a group of about 30 Fieldfare with a few Redwings landed briefly atop of some trees before continuing their northward journey.