18th March - winter still biting, snow last night, cold keen easterly, cloudy, -1C, feeling much colder like -7C

Willey; the feed station was busier again today, with at least 10 magpies and 2 Pheasants, plus the usual Tits, Finches and Yellowhammers.  The Nuthatch visited, likely confused as only a couple of days ago the male was singing in sunshine.  A small  flock of Fieldfare, ~25, and a little later Redwing, ~15, flew in to the trees of the old railway track.

Stanford reservoir; the reservoir was not frozen, but the ground had snow cover and mostly frozen, apart from water birds very little else was about.

 Wigeon ~150, Gadwall ~80, plus Pochard and Tufted were the most numerous,  7 Teal, 6 Goldeneye, 5 Great-crested Grebe, 5 and 10 Canada and Greylag geese flew in.  A male Kestrel flew passed and a green Woodpecker was calling.

Last weeks warm spell encouraged signs of Spring, like these Thorn flowers, now suffering the cold.