Over the last few days I have done a bit of birdwatching, all within 25 miles of home. The weather has varied from rain, strong winds, snow showers to blue skies today with ice still on untreated roads.
Co Down (country) - goldfinch, blackbird, house sparrow, rook, carrion crow, hooded crow, jackdaw, mallard, woodcock (my first since 2001), wood pigeon, collared dove, magpie, pheasant, tufted duck, coot, little grebe, gadwell, mute swan, black-headed gull, shoveler, chaffinch, greenfich, robin, mistle thrush, song thrush, redwing, feral pigeon, goldeneye, wigeon, grey heron, redshank, buzzard (being mobbed by 2 carrion crows), dunnock.
Quoile Pondage - mallard, teal, pochard, wigeon, lapwing (200+), goldeneye (pair, got a photo of the drake, not bad for me but a bit distant), coot, black-headed gull, herring gull, cormorant, mute swan, great black-backed gull.
Co Cown (coast) - black-headed gull, herring gull, common gull, great black-backed gull, dunlin, brent geese, oystercatcher, mute swan, redshank, curlew, red-breasted merganiser, cormorant, grey heron, pied wagtail, shelduck, grey seal, shag, sanderling, knot, mallard, teal, shoveler.