27th January

No sooner had the chillier conditions got a response from some birds then today it turned noticeably milder with rain arriving during the afternoon. The Greylag Goose showed up again over Reap Lane, whilst singles of Lapwing, Golden Plover and Jack Snipe were still about at the Bill. The other happenings were all to be expected: 11 Purple Sandpipers and a Black Redstart still at the Bill, 12 Stock Doves at Sweethill (the highest count at this site so far this winter) and 490 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 12 Goosanders, 7 Curlew, 5 Pale-bellied Brents and a Bar-tailed Godwit at Ferrybridge.

Amongst the goings-on at Ferrybridge it was interesting to see one of the Pale-bellied Brents going through the motions of pairing up with a Dark-bellied Brent © Debby Saunders (the brents, GCGrebe and RbMerganser) and Pete Saunders (Kingfisher):