Pett Level
7th January 2009, Wednesday
About 400 G C Grebes offshore this morning and 30+ divers rushing about on the horizon. There were about a dozen Gadwall sitting on the sea too. While you often see Wigeon out there ( sometimes mistaken by the unwary for Common Scoter), Gadwall tend to stick to the freshwater which, however is mostly frozen just now.
Blackbirds and Song Thrushes continue to be conspicuous, pushed south by the cold. They’re not only in sheltered garden habitats but out along the seawall, on the shingle at Rye Harbour and, more typically in thorns alongside the A259, where I take cautious glances away from the road in the hope of seeing a Waxwing.
In the garden, certain individuals are expending so much energy in driving off rivals that you wonder if it’s really worth their while. One male Blackbird is trying to see off up to 5 others while a fearsome Blue Tit appears out of nowhere to beat up a flock of Long-tailed Tits as they periodically home in on the RSPB fat-balls. If the competition gets too stiff or the food runs low, the Greenfinches head off across the field to feed on Ash-keys.
