Unlucky for some!

On Saturday 18th January a record tally of 5 Bullfinch (3 males, 2 females) seen on Cherry tree in garden just after midday feeding on emerging buds, (they only usually visit in Jan)! On Sunday 19th January just after midday I walked down to Oulton Marshes, a very poor visit as I failed to see the Glossy Ibis this time, although it may have been feeding in a ditch out of sight. I also saw a dark grey- looking Chiff- Chaff type (but did not see it well enough to conclusively identify it) which may have been the Siberian Chiff- Chaff?, fly up from the reeds behind the viewing platform and appeared to fly over the river was the only other bird seen. Walking back up the entrance hill, I heard tapping in stereo and saw 2 Great- spotted Woodpeckers perched high up along the side of the trunks of 2 adjacent trees. On Wednesday 22nd January, around midday, a female Bullfinch again seen in the garden feeding on the buds of the Cherry tree. Around 2pm, on a brief visit to Ness Point, at high tide a tally of 13 Purple Sandpipers, my highest of the winter so far, were seen feeding on the finger at Ness Point, initially 3 of their number were asleep and were incredibly close being only 2 metres away, they eventually woke up and flew over and joined the other 10.