This morning there were lots of ducks and gulls on the partly frozen Slurry Lagoon. Late morning a single Waxwing trilled as it flew over. JV.

This morning the results of last night’s rain were obvious as you looked along the Ouse Dyke. It had obviously burst its banks during the night but was now running high and muddy in its course. The Trent was also swollen and had spread across nearby fields. Five Little Egrets were together in the Ouse Dyke. Two Chiffchaffs were found and a Goldcrest. There were also plenty of ducks and winter thrushes about.
Later, in the afternoon, two crows chased a Barn Owl along the Ouse Dyke and into the Plantation. Three Cetti’s Warblers were heard singing and four Water Rail were squabbling in the Slurry Lagoon reed bed and a Toad was seen, crawling across the Slurry Lagoon path. PS.
The Slurry Lagoon was a hive of activity this afternoon with young ducks, grebes and coots with their parents across almost the whole of its surface. At the back with some Lapwings were two Black-tailed Godwit and a fairly good roost of Lesser Black-backed and Black-headed Gulls, PS.
Late this afternoon a Barn Owl was watched for about twenty minutes as it quartered the grass between the Large Gravel Pit and the river, several times pursued by a crow. It dropped onto something in the grass several times but it was not possible to see what it was catching, but it must be hungry to be hunting in daylight when the nights are so long. The northern end of the Large Gravel Pit (the end that was longest under the ice) was covered in wildfowl, mostly Gadwall, Wigeon and Coot. Both the other two water bodies are now more or less ice free. PS.
(At last A BARN OWL on the site for PS – Hurrah – AE)
The Deep Pit was the most productive area at the lagoons this afternoon, with a second winter Iceland Gull staying for about an hour amongst the other Herring and Great Black-backed Gulls. A Bittern was also showing well for most of the afternoon, on and off, and was eventually seen going to roost in a reed bed. Several Water Rail were seen running across the ice and as dusk approached several more were heard calling. A Cetti’s Warbler was heard briefly singing and later another was calling. A good selection of ducks was present, with large numbers of Teal. RW.
A Gadwall with eight ducklings was seen on the Slurry Lagoon today.