Garden Tick and the South Bank Show

I participated fully in this years Big Garden Birdwatch - did you? For posterity my totals were Bullfinch 3 (2 males 1 female), Blackbird 8 (7 females 1 male), Chaffinch 2 (pair), Coal Tit 1 (although im sure its a pair - male seems to have brighter/bigger nape stripe), Great Tit 2 (pair), Blue Tit 2, Collared Dove 4, Dunnock 2, Goldfinch 9, Carrion Crow 1, Tree Sparrow 2, House Sparrow 1, Robin 2 & Starling 2.

Not terrible considering its through a window

After I had finished a further 3 species rolled up within 20 minutes. The Woodpigeon was an unexpected miss whilst a Great Spotted Woodpecker was my first decent garden view and 2nd garden record. A first garden record of Reed Bunting whilst not unexpected was welcome (the second record was this morning - a nice winter male under the feeder) although it hid up in the hedge.

Im a Reed Bunting - honest guv

Yesterday I headed over to the south bank of the Humber for another survey of Killingholme. No Smew today but a new site tick in the form of a pair of Wigeon swimming along the front.  The first Black-tailed Godwits were filtering back although they didnt come in to roost due to a pathetic tide and ice on the pits. A dark mantled Herring Gull seemed to tick all the boxes for argentatus. 

Today I took Izzy to Tophill and we saw not a lot. It was great - we jumped in puddles and she played with mud. She loved the hides, espcially running up and down them. And then she looked over D reservoir and tried to label every bird she could see as "birdie". This went on for some time and when she finished both of us were in hysterics. My little girl is a cracker.

My little girl