Late Xmas Mail.

25-12-13- Wilthorpe marsh west 3 jack snipe and what was thought to be a distant chiffchaff on the river turned into a feeding party of four birds + 1 green sandpiper which flew into sewage farm. Bretton had 11 goosanders, 64 tufted duck, 10 g.c. grebes, 10 teal, 7shoveler, 3 little grebe, 3 mute swan, 18 gadwall,80 rooks and 4 goldcrests. The nearby Woolley filters had peregrine over at the starling roost + the usual 2+ sparrowhawks, one of which was seen to make a kill. A brief distant falcon was thought to be a merlin. 26-12-13- did the dukes road,ewden triangle walk. Great walk but poor for birds with a party of 4 ravens e over dukes road and a single calling raven at the shooting cabin. The only other bird of note in the ewden valley was a g.s. woodpecker.