300 Residences Ready for Immediate Occupation

Cold and still to start the day, the thermometer recorded zero and there was ice on the puddles. Opening up the only bird of note was a lesser spotted woodpecker calling and later seen near the Woodland hide, it was a female, hopefully the male is still around and they have found one another.

We had an extra volunteer day today, four came in to do the job of finishing off the sand martin bank refurbishment. Today we were adding render to the entrance holes and filling the last few that still needed extra sand. I looked out for the first sand martins at the end of the day, but no sign, maybe tomorrow.
The bittern was seen from the Ivy North hide again today and a winter plumage black-necked grebe was on Ibsley Water. At the very end of the day I took a look at the gull roost. It now contains very few large gulls, but the small ones are trying to make up, there were at least 5000 black-headed gull. Scattered throughout these were at least 47 common gull and 8 adult Mediterranean gull, all more or less in breeding plumage. Just as I was checking them out a young peregrine charged through them, causing mayhem, but catching nothing.