Weather and work have combined to thwart the birding of late. Yesterday's promise of a meteorlogical oasis ahead of today's storm was also fecked up by a wife at work and a son who needed nurse-maiding.
Managed to get out this morning and walk from home to West Hartford and back. The snow came with avengeance after about 20 minutes and lasted half an hour - just enough to freeze my head, blur the specs and generally frustrate the birding. After it stopped, much better, but nothing too exciting to report.
Two Brambling were at the west end of Horton Burn yesterday (first for me in Crammers) and were still there today, as were Bullfinches, Siskin, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Goldfinch. The Burn has Snipe and a Redshank, its banks covered in Blackbirds where the apple trees had dropped their fruit.
A single Woodcock flew south towards the Fire Station, and a flock of 40 Siskin were noisy in a generally calm snow scene.
Otherthan that, a moderately pleasant hour or so. One 'interesting' aspect was what sounded like a brood of young birds coming from the eves/gutter of a house near the Burn. No sign of visiting parents whilst I watched, but had this been six months earlier, I wouldn't have given it a second glance/hearing.
