ton up Jan 22nd

The torrential rain cleared overnight and the day started out bright-ish. First port of call was Waters’ Edge where I had some bread to get rid of in the hope of pulling in a decent gull. From the car park a glance up at the south towers of the Humber Bridge revealed an adult Peregrine launching itself off the tower, flipping round the other side and neatly despatching a largely whitish bird, either a gull of a white feral pigeon. It then carries its prey onto the top of the main support wires and proceeded to balance and eat as hundreds of motorists passed below oblivious to its presence. 97 on the list and surely nothing could stop a record breaking 100 in January now? The sailing pit produced its two Long-tailed Ducks and for some odd reason I decided to walk the extra 600m to pit25 to check for who knows what. My judgement must be looking up though because there after a new year’s absence was the Red-throated Diver possibly feeling guilty about depriving me of a patch year tick; 98 on the board. Two of the three Snow Buntings reappeared on my long return walk to the car park but there was no Med Gull and still no Fieldfare! But as I was photographing the bunts there came a distant che-chink or was is it a chizick two calls later and it clearly was a Grey Wagtail which duly flew right over my head; what a morning 99 now and equal to my highest ever January patch list. Early afternoon I decided to have a look on the edge of the Wolds, part of the inland side of my patch, in case there was a Corn Bunting or Fieldfare and the odd partridge. The stubble field I went to look at had been ploughed so no buntings but in the adjacent oilseed rape field was a superb male Merlin eating its lunch; what a cracking bird and a great patch addition. 100 up with 9 days still to go. I found a flock of 48 Redwing, still no Fieldfare and then a covey of Grey Partridge and one of Red-legged making the tally 102 by the day’s end.