Winter is beginning to take its toll - how are the relatively recent colonists faring?

The very cold weather continues and it is nice to see large concentrations of winter thrushes, waterfowl etc. Today at Bosherston Lakes for example, c.95% frozen with just two open water patches remaining where there were 100+ wigeon, 29 tufted ducks, 41 gadwall, 17 pochard (incredibly this is the highest number for more than a decade), c.150 coot (divided into two flocks upper eastern and upper western arms), 3 woodcock (all feeding in an adjacent field at lunch time on the fringe of a badger sett where the ground was softer in the sun). There were at least 2 firecrests and a few goldcrests also trying to feed on small insects amongst areas of fairly sheltered but sun-drenched ivy. Possibly because they were anxious to search for food while the good conditions prevailed, they seemed to ignore passers-by.

However, it is not all good news! Later in the day whilst doing a timed-tetrad count near Goldborough Pill, Pembroke River, I came across no less than three dead little egrets (the third to fifth dead ones I have personally seen in the last 2-3 weeks). One accessible enough for me to examine was along a small stream, tucked under some tree roots (probably where it had been trying to seek shelter overnight or perhaps feed in adjacent shallow but still running fresh water). Needless to say it was thin and had starved. The mud and saltmarsh along the nearby upper shore of Pembroke River being completely frozen up.

So what, I wonder, will be the the fate of other little egrets and other relatively recent colonists such as dartford warblers, if the very cold weather continues? It will also be interesting to see next summer, just how many choughs we will have breeding in the County. Numbers were already reduced this year, following last January's cold snap, and an overall poor breeding season, especially in the south of the County. (BH).