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Saturday 29 December 2012

Back-o-the-hill Beans

Went B-O-T-H this morning in an attempt to join the dots from my secondary Winter Thrush Survey area and the location of the still-present Whooper Swans which are hanging out there. As I parked up an odd noise emanated from the direction of the Whoopers, and it wasn't the large Corvid group feeding on the ploughed field. Nor was it the Buzzard. Nor the gulls.

Quickly scanning across the stubble revealed a couple of dark brown heads, so out with the scope and check the heads. Hmmm, Pinkies? Don't look quite right. Aren't those bill patches a little orange. Aren't those heads a little triangular? Necks were nice and long, and their backs a lovely dark, almost black, scalloped with bright white edges. Sadly they had no legs. Well, at least none that could be seen, anyway. Too much stubble. On the field, that is.

I tried to improve my position but the rain came on and got horrible. Returning with camera a half hour later the rain had gone. And so had the geese. Maybe these long staying Whoopers can act as a hunter's decoy and bring in other things. This field definitely will add to my scope for patch totalling. Also was the site of a nice group of Golden Plover last autumn. The fields also held a good few Woodpigeon.




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