A few days together here. Friday 4th spent most of day preparing for the Watch meeting, which was a walk around Kem Mill looking for winter birds. I saw both a single daisy in flower just outside the Barn and a lesser celandine a little further away.
Saturday started cool and cloudy.I arrived at Kem Mill and had a look for the dipper, but the river was very full and muddy. A mistle thrush was singing at the top of one of the trees and I should have remembered that it is also called the storm cock. By 10.00am 4 children had arrived so we set off to feed the Jacob's sheep which are in that area. Then the rain started. Despite this another 6 children arrived to join the fun. Several robins, blue tits and blackbirds scolded us and two pairs of mallard seemed to be laughing at our sodden (not sudden) appearance. We were encouraged to continue by good views of long tailed tits and several redwing. Crows were also very evident but only a single great spotted woodpecker. We completed our walk soaked but happy. One of my fellow leaders asked me to give her a lift to her sisters who lived nearby, whose house overlooked the Park. She took us into her conservatory where we could see several bird feeders. Greenfinch, chaffinch, another woodpecker, two male bullfinch, goldfinch all helped to warm our chilled bones. Our host asked us to be a little more patient and then some bramblings appeared. Eventually we had about 26 or 27, more than I have seen ever before in my life. A fantastic end to a grim day
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