Sunday 11th. December 2011

After a beautiful day yesterday , coppicing Hazel near Dorking , to provide materials for future hedgelaying jobs with the Surrey Hedgelaying Group in brilliant sunshine , followed by the Group's Christmas meal in a local pub , today was a real let down . Dismal , gloomy , wet and grey were words that described this morning . The only good thing was that there was no frost , unlike yesterday's start .But , it wasn't birdless , as a look from the back bedroom window revealed five Fieldfares , through the gloom , sitting high above the Cotoneaster bush , covered in bright red berries in my next-door

neighbour's garden , in the already mentioned gloomy conditions . I tried to get closer walking down the garden , but one of the five spotted me and gave the alarm . Surprisingly , one stayed put and

allowed a gloomy closer shot , before it too flew off . By lunch time , the drizzly rain ceased , but things didn't get much brighter . In need of some air though , I got my gear together and headed for Hayes Farm . Once again , the wind was strong and bitter as I headed towards the Trout Fishery . On my way there , a flock of about 15 Rooks lifted off well before getting into range of the camera , as did a good sized flock of mixed Black-headed and Common Gulls , with more of the latter than on

the last visit . Mistle Thrush and Green Woodpecker were heard , the former in full song . Just a single angler on the fishery , who informed me that an earlier birder had been looking for the Long-tailed Duck , and that it had gone . I scanned the lake finding a male and female Gadwall right over the other side , which could well be my first sighting of the species here . With nothing else new around , I started scanning the far bank , which contains two small reedbeds , for the Water Rail which has been reported recently , but without a sighting . The peace and quiet was constantly broken

by the Coots , who were either arguing or practising the square dance . Then , from nowhere , the LTD appeared in the binoculars , right over in the far corner . That makes it 19 days in residence to my knowledge , perhaps even more . Once again she looked very comfortable and as usual , spending 90% of the time underwater . With darker clouds rolling in , I headed back to the car , finding a ring

of Horse Mushroom / Agaricus arvensis on my way in one of the horse paddocks .