Unusual bird at Hadham Hall lagoons 07.03.10

A morning walk to the lagoon this morning gave brief flight views of a snipe, flushed from the ditch on the north side and then watched flying high in a southerly direction. Only the 2nd record of this bird in the parish. Otherwise a quiet morning, with 2 coot and 6 mallards being all that was on offer at the lagoon. Further waterbirds (2 coot, 4 mallards and 5 moorhens) were observed on the ponds around the hall and a lesser black backed gull glided south and high. A yellowhammer sung from the hedgerow. A clear but cold day offered sights of the usual residents and a little owl flew from an oak along the Causeway near the church. 3 great spotted woodpeckers were heard drumming as a small flock of house sparrows chirped from the holly on the Causeway.

Further afield, whilst gardening in Much Hadham, I disturbed a hibernating red admiral that flew off north west. This was reported to the Herts Butterfly conservation group (see: http://www.hertsmiddx-butterflies.org.uk/ and click on sightings and news. It transpired to be the second county sighting of this species for 2010.
Today's photos show a view, looking south from the partially frozen lagoon, a coot and a moorhen on the Hadham Hall pond.