After a morning Parkrun at Wykeham Lakes (personal best, injured knee, Marsh Tit singing), with the sun shining and the wind light I couldn't resist hobbling up to the northern stubbles to check on the passerine flocks. Fair to say, it was good value, once again....
With another Water Pipit or Shore Lark in mind, I spent a lot of time pinning down and going through the well scattered, often flighty flocks - no dice on the aforementioned unfortunately but excellent numbers of Skylarks (245), Linnets (280), Tree Sparrows (31), Rock Pipits (18), Yellowhammers (48), Reed Buntings (45), plus two Corn Buntings (lower two photos), a single Snow Bunting (no sign of a flock today) and at least seven of these little wonders.
More often than not, they're pretty jumpy and up with the (Sky) larks before you can get anywhere near them, but occasionally, you bump into a bird which just doesn't give a flying one, this individual being a wonderful case in point - it let me sit right next to it as it fed avidly, completely unfazed by my presence. What a joy.
Plenty of other stuff to enjoy, too - hundreds of Pink-feet on the move, two Long-tailed Ducks in the bay, lots of auks and Fulmars, a Little Egret south... a fine few hours on the doorstep patch, and the first in some time.
