Bird Counting

 I am very fortunate in being allowed to walk a large Breckland farm of which much lies within the STANTA army training area in Norfolk.  The farm I walk incorporates rolling arable land, floodplain, river valley, woodland and woodland carr, mature hedgerows, heathland and marshland.  This wonderful land and habitat provides me with excellent all year birding and each February I conduct bird counts for the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust.

This year I was able to put in several hours of surveying which produced great birds and some great counts too.

Each February sees winter Thrush numbers building as they pass through on their return to their breeding grounds in Scandinavia.  Fieldfares especially featured during this count period with the best single count being a respectable 395+ birds on grassland.  Redwings did not seem so numerous but whilst on the subject of Thrushes I did record many singing Mistle Thrushes which was very pleasing.

Stonechat. Several pairs found

Several pairs of Stonechats were found, the male birds now beginning to show their stunning breeding plumages.  These remarkable little birds perch on fences and tall weeds from where they watch the ground for a small invertebrate meal.  Watching them closely you can make out a very fast nervous wing-flicking movement.  Female Stonechats lack the black heads of the male, however, they are equally a stunning little bird.

As one would expect in the winter farmland scene, the most numerous species found were Finches and Buntings.  Chaffinches were the most abundant bird with close to 700 birds counted with smaller numbers of Brambling.  My best Yellowhammer count was 55+ birds with many Chaffinches, on land with a scattering of seed spill and beets.  Linnets also featured in areas of game cover with over 300 counted.

Other common species counted included Great Spotted Woodpeckers, several Treecreepers, Nuthatch, and several good sized flocks of Starlings numbering hundreds of birds, their numbers totalling close to 3000 birds.  Beautiful Lapwings also seen with almost 500 birds counted.

This survey is a nationwide count and at the last check of the overall statistics I have recorded the only Woodlark, however, it's more numerous cousin the Skylark saw the best single count of 200+ birds.

Single figure counts included Goshawk, Sparrowhawk, Snipe, Grey Wagtail, Little Egret, Chiffchaff,  Barn Owl and Raven.

Today, the 17th February was the last day I am able to count, and what an end with three flocks of Whooper Swans totalling 111+ birds.