Signs of Spring

A wet miserable morning, so I decided a visit to Gayhurst Quarry was in order.
Lots of Geese were in the field just beyond the housing estate, but other than 2 Canadas they were all Greylags.
Down at the pits , again Wigeon were the dominant species with probably 500 present. Smaller numbers of Mallard, Pochard, Tufteds, Gadwall and Teal.
Five Little Egrets were on Motorway Pit, it looked like 2 pairs and an odd one.
I continued up to Quarryhall, where a flock of 120 Yellowhammers were feeding in the game strip, along with around 50 Chaffinch, 8 Stock Doves and 10 Red-legged Partridges.
86 Mute Swans were feeding in a distant field, about 100 Lapwings flew around and several Skylarks were overhead.
Walking back to the car it was good to hear the bleating of several new-born lambs.

I moved on to Little Linford Wood in the hope of finding some Tree Sparrows. Unfortunately they don't seem to have returned to this normally reliable site.
I walked through to the other side of the wood to the old falling down barn, where a pair of Little Owls flew out of a tree.
For the next ten minutes I was then entertained by a group of 9 'Boxing Hares - something I never tire of watching.
A pair of Great spotted Woodpeckerswere in a courtship display near the car park as I left.