Teal for Lunch.

Today's Survey started well in flushing Two Woodcock on my Thameside Essex site, both birds came out of an overgrown ditch that was free of Ice, Some displaced Snipe were also around in numbers as were Lapwing and the odd Golden Plover and Curlew.

Stumbled upon a Water Rail that was in the smallest ditch in the world, amazing what cold weather does!

On the salting a female Peregrine smashed into a Teal, amazing site to see as the bird then struggled to take it to a nearby pylon.

peregrine takeaway !

Several Corn Buntings were feeding alongside Skylark and Reed Bunts, and Two Green Sandpiper flew overhead.

Some c500 Avocets were feeding on the mud with smaller numbers of Black-Tailed Godwit, Redshank and Grey plover.