Chilly Happy New Year

Went armed with soup to Attenborough Nature Reserve and saw:

Mallard

Pochard

Tufted Duck

Goosander

Mute Swan

Egyptian Goose

Canada Goose

Heron

Cormorant

Great Crested Grebe

Moorhen

Coot

Black-headed Gull

Lesser black-backed Gull

Woodpigeon

Blackbird

Great tit

Blue tit

Robin

Sparrow

Crow

Magpie

And a family of rats who live underneath a bird-feeder.

There had been recent sightings of Bittern, Little Egret and even the fabulously-named Bohemian Waxwing but they were not evident to bad birdwatchers today. Actually I don't care, I'm generally very happy to see the 'usual suspects' as listed above. I visited Attenborough a few weeks ago and identified Wigeon for the first time which was satisfying.

All the best for 2009. I'm making no resolutions and no predictions - well, just one - it's going to be an interesting year!