A modest increase in waterfowl numbers at Bosherston Lakes

Despite a noticeable thaw today, Bosherston lakes still have significant sheets of ice cover. As usual, most waterfowl are concentrating at the shallower head of the eastern arm where constant flow has kept an area largely ice-free.

This afternoon coot numbers were only in the upper 90's (somewhat surprisingly) having shown absolutely no increase in numbers at all since the cold snap set in. Numbers of some species have increased, if only moderately, including for example: little grebe 21, gadwall 28, wigeon 9, tufted duck 10, pochard 5 (all males); the earlier reported count of 6 being the largest count here for a few years - where do they go now during hard weather? There were at least 15 goosanders still present but they come and go and so numbers fluctuate quite a bit, as probably do goldeneye, about 21 present in the lake system late this afternoon but their numbers have not really increased at all since mid December.

There were still plenty of thrushes (mainly redwings and song thrushes)in the woodland - quite a few piles of feathers too, following predation of some less fortunate ones. Lapwings and golden plovers are scattered over the Castlemartin peninsula. Small flocks of long-tailed tits quite noticeable today (I wonder if this may be the species seen at fat-balls in a Goodwick Garden?). It was also pleasing to see a couple of blackcaps and a firecrest going to roost before darkness fell.