Bosherston waterfowl count

Today's complete monthly count of the lake system produced a nice mixture of birds:
35 moorhen; 129 coot (numbers up on a count made about 10 days ago); 26 little grebe (2 short of last winters record of 28 but they are so hard to find tucked away under bank-side vegetation so there could be more); tufted duck 33 (the highest winter count since January 1997 (34) but still some way below the 60 recorded in the cold spell of Feb 1986); Gadwall 31 was the highest recorded since regular counts began back in 1969; wigeon 15; mallard 35; teal 4 (very low numbers); goosander 25 (21 on eastern arm (11 males) and 4 (females) at head of central arm - one short of last winters record of 26; pochard 1 male only today; scaup 1 (adult female) with 23 goldeneye; shoveler 2 (both males but one a sub-adult looking very female-like). Two kingfishers present and at least one chiffchaff was calling along western arm, so these have survived the cold snap ok. A flock of c. 100 fieldfares were feeding in pasture near Home Farm. Otter family still present in eastern arm plus large pike behaving as if spawning in the shallows - frightening the life out of coot and little grebes!

Green Woodpecker a male in full "yaffling mode" today and being answered by another calling but not yaffling. So all is not quite lost yet for this species in Pembs., but surely there must be more in Pembs somewhere?!

Yesterday, like today, was another very spring-like day with numerous "residents" in song. Out tetrad-bashing - blackcap noted in Clarbeston Road (only a few metres away from where one was seen last winter. Dippers noted along a minor stream nr Clarbeston Road (a tributary of Rudbaxton Water) and on the Syfynwy (nr Bletherston)where one was in full song perched on the water level staff-gauge near the well-flooded ford.