Nice start to the New Year with a trip into the farmland north of Andover this morning.

Nice start to the New Year with a trip into the farmland north of Andover this morning. Started at Tidcombe, but cut my walk short due to fog. Did see 10+ Chaffinch and 6 Yellowhammer in the pheasant cover. Changed my plans due to the fog, and drove to a site in Wiltshire where I have previously found Tree Sparrow. Had a bit of good fortune here, as I got lost, but heard Sparrows calling when I stopped to get my bearings. They were Tree Sparrows, lots of them, visiting a garden feeder. These are my closest birds to home now.. 32.5 miles away in a straight line!

Elsewhere, 4 Kestrel throughout the morning, a Wigeon and Marsh Tit at Dunbridge, a nice flock of ~40 Linnet off Hoe lane, plus Grey Wagtail, Stock Dove and Tawny Owl heard.

The garden is having a nice run with 14 Chaffinch, 8 Goldfinch, and a single Greenfinch. We also had a Little Egret drop into the brook behind the house.