Weekend Roundup

We covered the whole farm this weekend (North side yesterday and South Side today) Ebird list HERE. A total of 73 species , highlights included a Black Redstart today (good to get in on the uber early migrant action- although I didn't see it myself), 10 Water Pipit and 2 Tawny Owl calling outside the Obs yesterday night. 

A couple more new moths for the year.  Unfortunately no migrants despite good numbers (and some megas) turning up on the South Coast. 

Water Pipits above and Meadow Pipits below . I was wondering if our wintering Water Pipits might have started moulting into summer plumage, spurred on by the atypical warm conditions. The bottom bird here looked a bit more blue-headed than the others and some of the tertials are also missing but most birds still looked in full winter plumage. The pre-breeding moult of Water Pipit involves all head and body feathers, a few median and greater coverts , all tertials and occasionally the outer tail feather and odd secondary. The complete moult (all tail and flight feathers) is post breeding (HWPB 2018)

 Partly leucistic Canada Goose 

 Early Grey 

 Mistletoe- Frankie pointed this out to me in the new year but I forgot to document it. This is a first for the farmlands. 

View over 100 acre on this barmy spring like day- 18 C