No idea whether there’s a connection, but yesterday’s first hard frost of the year coincided with a new high score of Teal along the stream – 11 were flushed and proceeded to power round in manic circles over the largely-frozen Decoy Pond and park. They didn’t faze the smattering of Black-headed and Common Gulls feeding on the grass, but a Buzzard did and they all evaporated.
Today on the escarpment just east of the bostal road, there were at least 40 Skylarks feeding on the arable that’s recently been converted to sheep pasture, a couple of dozen Meadow Pipits and three skulky Dunnocks in the green cover, one Reed Bunting out of the corn, and a fat Buzzard on the fence near the Plantation.
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Scrub that – there were 75+ Teal along the stream on 3 Feb. *That’s* a record-bustin’ Teal party.