With skeins of Geese overhead and appearing to be heading for Holywell Pond and a text from Holywell Birder reporting a female Scaup on the pond the previous day I headed towards the patch in glorious sunshine,a quick stop at the corner feeding station produced the usual suspects also good numbers of Tree Sparrows. (what no Rats!! )
Trying to count Geese numbers in the sheep field as I walked the path to the public hide I caught sight of birds flying down to the field edge to drink from the numerous puddles as I got closer it was a group of five Waxwings,here is a couple of efforts whilst trying to handhold a 500mm.
As I said only five but a nice first for me on patch,the Geese were quite active so ended up being a rough count of 267 mixed Pinkfoot and Greylag.Heading back to the members hide the Waxwings had been disturbed by dog walkers so no chance of more pics,the door into the members hide is in an awful state and to be honest it wasn't worth the effort of getting in just to view two Coots and a female Mallard and no sign of the Scaup.
I was down at Holywell This morning before going on to St Marys and had three of the Waxwings around 9.50. They were atop the highest tree about 25 metres before the public hide as you head there from the village. Didn't see the Scaup either but counted 265 Geese (like yourself a rough count) in East Flood field but there were 500 - 800 over towards the obelisk also. A beautiful morning after the last few days gloom. No owls viewed but a lush Kestrel hunted along the wagonway.
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