Having spent most of early to mid January sifting through gull flocks in the area a few days of easy observing from and near home combined with a spell of cold and snowy weather delivered some interesting sightings...
A redhead Smew flew north down the Great Ouse on 16th and a Goldeneye spent the same day feeding along a small stretch of the river; a Red Kite flew over north on 18th. A northward movement of 1200+ large Gulls during the morning of the 19th included a single adult Caspian Gull and a female Merlin flew low south over a snow covered Lammas Meadow the same afternoon with nice views of a male Reeve's Muntjac across the river the same day. Best of all, on the 20th an Otter swimming along the river finally offered the photo opportunity from the balcony that I've been waiting for though in poor light and heavy snow; winter thrushes already appear to be quite weak and lethargic and a Marsh Tit visited the feeders for the second time in three days.
Spent three hours in constant snow wandering around Paxton Pits this afternoon (20th) the best sightings in difficult conditions were 1 Bittern in flight over the reedbed at Hayling Pit, 3 Smew (1 drake), good numbers of Linnets and Redpolls though sadly the conditions prevented close scrutiny of the latter and 11 Corn Buntings.
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| Otter - River Great Ouse, Little Paxton, Cambridgeshire |
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| Adult female Goldeneye - River Great Ouse, Little Paxton, Cambridgeshire |
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| Male Reeve's Muntjac - Islands Common, Little Paxton, Cambridgeshire |
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