Ten or so Tree Sparrows are still visiting my garden and last Saturday a Peregrine swooped through West Hartford during a short visit. This morning I did the WEBS count at Castle Island with SH, DM and IFo. Not much at Castle Island, Hauxley or East Chevington with the highlights being 50+ Whooper Swans on the north pool at chev and a single Greenland White-fronted Goose at Hauxley.
At Widdrington Moor Lake we caught up with the earlier reported Bewick's Swan which was swimming with 60 Whoopers at the western end of the water. A stunning drake Mandarin was 400m up river from the Stakeford road Bridge on the river Wansbeck. At first it was sleeping but when the local Mallards were feeding on bred it flew across the river to join them. Also, on the River Blyth at Hartford Bridge there were a pair of Dipper on our way back.
