Random birds seen and heard last in the days of March

The Chiffchaff have continued to arrive on migration in good numbers over the last week or so and they can be heard all round the village, including at Underway Meade. I tried to get a photo of one but they always seem to be obscured by twigs as they sit up fairly high in a bush or tree announcing their presence and calling for a mate!

I also failed to get a picture of a goldcrest which was flitting about in a conifer tree singing its high pitch, lispy song, as I walked along the lanes. 

I did however manage to get this picture of a treecreeper yesterday as I walked round Scrapton. It was working its way up an oak tree, moving like a little mouse, whilst looking for insects in the rough bark. Treecreepers usually work their way up a tree and when they move on to another tree they fly to the lower trunk or branches and make their way back up again. It has a bright white front but when searching for insects its back is really well camouflaged against the tree. 

Today I walked out to the sewage works at Nimmer as I was told there had been a pair of Gadwall seen there recently. This is not a duck that usually frequents this spot and it is a new bird for my parish bird list so I was delighted to see the pair were still there and I managed to get a picture! It goes to show that even though I can't travel to my usual birding spots, there is always something to see locally if you listen out and watch carefully.