Steady work and progress, must try harder

Yes it is school report time on the 2019 lists and as you can see I don't get out enough and need to try harder. Apart from WOW I really haven't been anywhere else. I did manage a short visit to Oxford Island en route to look at kitchens and added pochard and ruddy duck. A walk along the coastal path added brent, mallard and meadow pipit but not rock pipit which was what I was going for. Mallard on the lough at Stricklands Bay was a bit of a surprise as it is never an easy bird to get on the patch. I finally saw a garden goldfinch, and have seen them regularly since. WOW has added seven species including a fly through sparrowhawk and three hard to get species in siskin, long-tailed tit and song thrush. I made a conscious effort today to try and get some feeder shots as there were not any different birds up near the window.  The wren was a bonus last week as it was trapped inside the door in the entrance, was carefully put outside where it sat in shock long enough for me to take a couple of shots. Closest I have ever been to one, they really are incredibly tiny.

Spot the wren

There it is!!

Nice teal

Black-tailed godwit

Greenfinch & goldfinch

Greenfinch & redpoll

Reed bunting

Greater long-tailed field mouse

Mute swan

Millet-stuffed godwit - a first for the reserve!

2019
83: Rock pipit
84: Pochard
85: Ruddy duck
86: Siskin
87: Song thrush
88: Meadow pipit

Bangor West
43: Goldfinch
44: Brent goose
45: Meadow pipit
46: Mallard

Belfast WOW
56: Little grebe
57: Siskin
58: Long-tailed tit
59: Coal tit
60: Wren
61: Song thrush
62: Sparrowhawk