December 27th to January 6th.

Happy New Year to you all.

The mild weather generally has continued, but the biggest change has been in water levels. With Southoe Brook flowing well and the river up, the Heronry Lakes are now the highest we have seen in a year. This has driven the shoreline back into the trees and making observations more difficult.

This heron was enjoying the low water level in December.
He's not there now and neither is the island behind him.

I strongly recommend  a visit to the wild bird cover mix in our arable fields where there are flocks of buntings and finches feeding, though it takes patience to see them amongst the crops. The starling roost over the meadow has grown to several thousand birds since Christmas.

Cormorants are well in to nesting now.
This one was photographed last month and
 isn't showing breeding plumage yet.

Dec 31st: Green woodpecker x 2, teal x 6, mute swan x 66, kingfisher, b.h. gulls x 120,
                 mallard x 28, gadwall x 110, shoveller x 44, wigeon x 21, green sandpiper x 3,
                 redwing x 2, goldeneye x 10, buzzard, tufted duck x 176, skylark x 26,
                 yellowhammer x 60, linnet x 4, grey wagtail. (Terry Brown)

                 Pigeon x 2, sparrow hawk x 2, coot x 2 (Alice Gooch)

                 Goldcrest, treecreeper, g.s. woodpecker, long tailed tits, blue tits,
                 great tits, swans, mallards, cormorants, hereon x 2, tufted ducks, wood pigeons,
                 robins, dunnocks, cola tit. (Nicole and Nigel Smith)

January 1st "Ice-breaker" event:
                 Two guided walks involved 59 people. 53 species were seen including
                 green sandpiper,  kingfisher, goldcrest, reed bunting and jay.
                 The walks raised £111 for the Friends to spend on the reserve.
                 Thanks to all 14 of the volunteers involved. (TG)

Jan 2nd:   Robins, blue tits, great tits, wren, tufted ducks, song thrush,
                 grey squirrels. (Jakey and Sharon)

Records of common birds are valuable.
Please keep them coming.

Jan 3rd:   Red crested pochard drake x 2, Kingfisher (all on Heronry South). (John Edwards)
                Green sandpiper x 3 on Island Pit. (Neal)

Jan 6th:   Green woodpecker, g.s.woodpecker x 2, jackdaws, reed buntings,
                kestrel x 2, bullfinches, teal, shoveller, wigeon, gadwall, tufted ducks,
                grey herons, cormorants, carrion crow, long-tailed tits, greylag geese, redwing,
                blackbird, b.h. gull. All on the Heronry Trail. (JAS)