Winter wetlands

I had a walk around the perimeter of North Cave Wetlands this morning. It was mostly cloudy, with a few brief sunny spells, and much milder than last week, although there was thin ice near the shore of some of the lakes.
 Things were quieter than usual by Village Lake, there were many Teal, some Wigeon and a flock of Lapwings. A Snipe fed on the island and there were also some Coots and a Redshank.
 I move to Turret Hide and I spotted a flock of Greylags in a field at the north of the reserve. An very large flock of what appear to be Woodpigeon flies in the hills over the trees. I watched the Teals displaying.
 I couldn't miss a Mute swan fight going on in Reed Bed for quite some time, there were two immatures and at least three adults involved, and the fight seemed to involve possibly two pairs. There was actually one on one close contact by the reed beds and repeated chases with noisy wing beats and half flying as they run over the water. Likely a resident pair was chasing an intruder pair away. The individuals chasing adopted the typical Mute Swan threatening posture with raised wings and curved neck called 'busking' as it approached the other.
 All this was very interesting, but I was distracted by the call of a water rail from the reeds, and, as I was quite keen to try and spot it, I stopped watching the swans, although I ended up not seeing the rail either.

 No grebes - Little or Great Crested - to be seen at Main Lake. The flock of Greylags had by then moved onto the Main Lake and I counted them there, all more than 200 of them, with a few Gadwalls, Common Pochards and Tufted ducks. On the shore, more Teals and a dozen Redshanks.
 A late reward for a final look by the entrance fence was a male Siskin in an Alder.
Another great winter walk in the wetlands.

By the access path to Turret hide, a small party of Lesser Redpolls fed on some dry seedheads ( I don't know what they are, some sort of sorrel?

Field at the north of the reserve, with a flock of Greylags in the distance

 Very obvious Goldfinches today, feeding on dry seed heads, can you spot one on this sea of Teasel seedheads?

Goldfinch and Teasel

Mute Swan Chase

Redwing

I disturbed a Green Woodpecker on the north perimeter path, and it called with its 'kia kah!' alarm call as it flew ahead of me. It lated alighted on a tree trunk

Immature Male Tufted Duck

Bird List

1. Black-headed Gull
2.  Blackbird
3.  Blue Tit
4.  Carrion Crow
5.  Chaffinch
6.  Common Gull
7.  Coot
8.  Dunnock
9.  Feral Pigeon
10.  Fieldfare
11.  Gadwall
12.  Goldfinch
13.  Great Tit
14.  Green Woodpecker
15.  Greenfinch
16.  Greylag Goose
17.  House Sparrow
18.  Jackdaw
19.  Kestrel
20.  Lapwing
21.  Lesser Redpoll
22.  Long-tailed Tit
23.  Magpie
24.  Mallard
25.  Moorhen
26.  Mute Swan
27.  Pheasant
28.  Pochard
29.  Redshank
30.  Redwing
31.  Reed Bunting
32.  Robin
33.  Rook
34.  Shoveler
35.  Siskin
36.  Snipe
37.  Song Thrush
38.  Starling
39.  Teal
40.  Tree Sparrow
41.  Tufted Duck
42.  Water Rail
43.  Wigeon
44.  Woodpigeon
45.  Wren