Wembury 23/12 - Woodlarktastic

The fun continues - Started off with a Brambling in the garden before a long (and very treacherous) walk along Wembury Beach. Still good numbers of Lapwing (50), Golden Plover (80+) around but Song Thrush numbers down (50). Good movement of Redwing (3-400) along with 100+ Fieldfare, 2 Snipe, Knot, 2 Grey Plover, Redshank, Merlin, 3 Buzzard (one in off), Pintail, 5 Wigeon, 2 Gadwall and 3 Dunlin. Still 1000+ Skylark, 4 Cirl Bunting and a few Chaffinch about. Then we come to the Woodlarks. Scanning the stubble field yielded me 3 Woodlarks flying over. Moving on the wheat field (W of stubble field, almost at Wembury Point) yielded hundreds of Skylark circling round very nervously and a big flock of Linnet. Then a group of about 35 birds got up from the back of the field and my brain went into meltdown - I identified the two Skylarks easily but my brain had a bit more trouble coming to terms with the fact that at least most of the rest were Woodlarks. In a bit of a state of shock, I waited for them to get up again but they didn't so I walked around to where I could see the back of the field a little closer. A Sparrowhawk came through and put the whole group up and they flew over my head Tillueeing gently as they went. I was able to identify 20 Woodlarks as they settled back in the wheat field but I think I missed at least a few. At the risk of getting referred for an eye test or psychiatric help, there may be as many as 30 birds present!