28th February 2015 - Welton Water

My last day off work, I went for an afternoon walk around Welton Water in awful conditions. The wind was blowing with a nasty northerly edge and at time the rain was slashing down. The water was even quieter than usual with the Tufted Duck, Goldeneye and Gadwall present as per previous visits, with numbers of the latter back up at 26.

There were plenty of Gulls on the river, but trying to get any view of the river was a challenge as the exposed bank was not the most clement place to be! The most activity was on the field at the back of the sailing club which if it remains in its current condition should be very productive over the year. At present it is plenty of turned mud and corn stalks with channels and lying water which is proving very popular with a number of different bird families. Perhaps the most obvious are the Greylag flock of 34 bird - which give themselves away with their squabbling. The presences of Bean Geese on the south bank raised my hopes, but the resident flock had no visitors on this occasion. Redwing and Fieldfare were present on the fields, the latter more visible than the former which were not easy to pick out until they moved. A couple of Meadow Pipits were a more delicate addition, and as the afternoon wore on Pied Wagtail numbers increased as more than 30 birds flew in to roost from Brough.

Curlews stalked amongst the mud picking off titbits and Carrion Crows and Jackdaws were present in small numbers. Perhaps least likely was a Little Egret which took off as I approached and was later roosting in the trees on the island.

The other bird on the field were two rather confiding Stock Doves, a bird that is not always the easiest to see. Woodpigeons to Stock Doves are what Herring Gulls are to Common Gulls, with the latter being the softer, better looking and more subtle cousin.

Stock Doves

Roe Deer are becoming a regular site in the countryside these days and the airfield and the fields behind Welton Water are pretty reliable as they make their way nervously across the open space.

Roe Deer show nerves as they cross the open space.