A Day in the Freezer

Looks like this hard weather spell is beginning to displace birds already (day two). Over 600 Lapwings flew west over Capel in Surrey today with other small groups and Golden Plovers elsewhere. There was a Yellowhammer at the London wetland centre, a couple of Skylarks over Arjun's Wallington garden and across the region there were hard weather movements in East London and a Smew arrived in Kent. A flock of 12 Kittiwake on QE2 Reservoir was the most exciting discovery. Surrey bird news today HERE . Conditions are frozen on the near continent and this weather lasts until the end of the week. It's a pretty good bet that tomorrow is going to be rather interesting.

I used  today to wait a bit longer (normally takes a couple of days for birds to decide to become refugees and escape the conditions, presumably as a result of food supply shortages due to snow cover/ice)  and catch up with work while I could and plan to take the whole of tomorrow off to hopefully record displacement movement. I did a one and half hour stint at the obs window which was pretty productive. Ebird list HERE  . Highlight was an adult winter Little Gull and also a flock of 14 Snipe flying around. Only 2+5 Lapwing so far. Knepp's White Stork was also flying around outside the window too.

Adult Little Gull 

Part of the Snipe flock 

Lapwings on the move- the vanguard for tomorrow? 

Male Sparrowhawk at the obs bird feeders