On the 6th a Curlew flew down the valley, no doubt heading for Brascote. Other recent sightings have included Peregrine, Raven and Woodcock. By the 10th there was plenty of spawn in the pond and a pair of Mallard had moved in. The final Webs count was completed today(13th). The highest count was 74 Mallard and 31 Tufted duck. There were also 14 Cormorant, some being the sinensis sub species, from eastern and southern Europe ,which breeds in the Baltic. (See photo). The highlight were the 9 Sand Martins that were feeding low over the reservoir, a sure sign that migration has begun.
I am so glad to have picked up on your picture of the Cormorant as I also took a picture of this species (although I didn't know what it was at the time) as it looked different to most Cormorants I'd seen - mystery solved. I spotted it on the 16th February at Thornton Reservoir. Thank you.
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