So continuing Simon's theme of resurrection, I thought I'd post about a pleasant visit to one of my favourite local patches, Little Linford Wood.  Favourite primarily because it appeals to my never-far-from-the-surface misanthropy by being blissfully devoid of people.  And today was no exception.

So my first visit to this site in 9? 10? months was conducted in glorious winter sunshine, and I faffed around trying to reacquaint myself with the f-stops on my bridge camera, occasionally stopping to raise my bins at a Jay or a calling Treecreeper.

Most interesting bird-wise was a small flock of passerines in a stubble field by the disused barn just west of the wood, c40 birds, mostly Yellowhammer and Chaffinch, but also a handful of Reed Buntings and 2-3 Tree Sparrow. The mega flock of 200+ birds of this latter species which wintered at the site a couple of years ago seems increasingly like an anomaly.  I presume that small flocks are scattered around the local area, which is mostly inaccessible and totally underwatched.

Still, with the rise in popularity of patch-watching trying to convince me that such a flock has a greater intrinsic value than twitching an Ivory Gull, I suppose I should feel moderately satisfied with my afternoon's work.