27th January

Woke up early due to the time differences so went to Venus Pool before dawn where there were 4 Bewick’s Swans (three adults and a juvenile) and 4 Whooper Swans (all adults) roosting with 81 Mute Swans – my highest ever count here.   Other counts included 7 Shelduck, 34 Shoveler and 5+ Corn Buntings in the top field but most other species were present in small numbers – although most of the pools were frozen.

                There was still a wintering Common Sandpiper on the River Severn at Leighton before a look at the Gull roost at Chelmarsh produced a 3rd winter Caspian Gull, a 2nd winter Yellow-legged Gull and 5+ Common Gulls in amongst good numbers of Black-headed, Herring and Lesser Black-backs while c70 Goosander also came in to roost.