New Birds for January

Today on our usual walk we stop at the right hand corner above Heath Farm and see a flock of sheep in a field on the right where we've never seen them before, and then the farmer driving across the field with excitable dogs in the back of his truck, one of which is let out and expertly coralls the sheep into a pen on the other side of the field.  The other dogs are allowed tojoin in for the final funneling in.

Along the lane we see two redpolls (finch family), a first for 2013, feeding in the hedgerow, with their bright red caps the same colour as the rosehips.

At the bottom corner of the field, the farmer drives off towards the farm with the first lorry load of sheep, presumably taking them closer to the farm for protection from the forecast snow.

Down the Icknield Way lane we see a large brown and white bird dart out of the hedge and back in a couple of times, then fly off with its round, flat face and wing markings giving away its identity as a short-eared owl.  Another first for January.

Not in a large flock as they would normally be found, but alone, we see several single fieldfares (thrush family) with lovely views of their striking plumage.  The cold wind is blowing today from a southerly direction, so we can hear the sound of the traffic on the A10 - last week the wind was more from the west, and the sounds were from the A505 and the railway line.   Around 10.30 it starts to snow as we head home.