A new year and another deluge of rain on the first day raised the water levels on the park even further, but created good habitat for gulls on the northern site. By the 3rd the first real taste of winter hit the area, with freezing temperatures, snow showers and hard overnight frosts. The cold snap continued until the 10th but with fairly fresh winds the larger water areas did not initially freeze over, unlike 2001-2002. However, the small dykes and channels did freeze and the southern end of the Middle Lagoon also had extensive areas of ice cover. A sharp frost overnight 7-8th did freeze most of the water areas on the park with the exception of the northern end of Pond B and the new Pond A south. The remainder of the month was fairly mild, with some exceptional warm temperatures in the third week. Then another sharp spell, with the first real snowfall of the winter, hit the area on the 30-31st.
The flooded ponds on the north of the site proved to be a real attraction for small gulls. Up to 250 Black-headed and a few Common Gulls gathered to feed and bathe in the lakes; often prior to moving off to their nightly roosts on the Humber. During high tides mainly in the mornings, and later in the month throughout the day, several waders also frequented the area. There was a peak of nine Redshank, being fairly regular, while flocks of anything up to 90 Lapwing were less typical. An excellent roost of Ringed Plovers developed, peaking with 41 birds on the 29th a record count for the site. Up to 30 Dunlin usually accompanied them and the odd Snipe was also present on the sodden landscaped areas. Drainage of the new lagoon by the AWA works late in the month though, provided opportunistic Snipe with an excellent feeding area and a record total of 31 were present on the 21st. To complete the good wader showing a Jack Snipe was put up from a wet mossy area amongst one of the new plantations on the morning of the 23rd.
A roving, mixed flock of small passerines held at least twelve Long-tailed, six Great and six Blue Tits with the odd Goldcrest. The Long-tailed Tits again took to feeding from the peanut feeders around the park. The station by Pasture Road pulled in no less than 10 Blue and 8 Great Tits, plus a fine pair of Willow Tits and up to six different Reed Buntings. A fine male Bullfinch was feeding on the west of the park along with four Reed Buntings early in the month, being later joined by another male and a female. The alders held small numbers of Siskin and Goldfinch early in the month, but an unprecedented flock of 100 Siskin descended on the alders during the cold snap.
Wildfowl remained scarce on the complex early in the month, but the mild weather meant that there was the odd Ruddy Duck and up to two Little Grebes still in residence. Teal increased to 20 birds with the males now in fine plumage following their moult out of eclipse. As the colder weather took hold, Shoveler increased to 24 birds 8th and Coot numbers also shot up with 115 being counted on the 6th. The majority of the coot were grazing on the area around the new northern lagoons. Moorhen were also in good numbers, with 44 counted the same day. Gadwall remained rare, with just four birds but there was a marked influx of Tufted Duck 51 and Pochard 22 late in the month.
Two Lesser Redpolls joined the feeding finches on the alders on the 23rd. Two Great Spotted Woodpeckers were fighting over the right of access to the feeding stations on the 6th with both birds being seen regularly to mid-month and at least one bird being recorded throughout. Although most of the berries in the park had been eaten by the end of the first week, there were sporadic records of a few Fieldfare to mid-month and Redwings continued to feed in the wet mossy areas of the western park throughout. The small cluster of guelder rose berries by the south-west plantation attracted four beautiful Waxwings on the 15th but their stay was unfortunately all too short-lived. January 2003 has seen a small invasion of this erratic winter visitor into Eastern England, as their favoured berry crop in Scandinavia has been exhausted. A highlight for birdwatchers and any observers, they are usually very tame and complement their subtle but decorative plumage with a thin trilling call which is instantly recognisable and raises images of trees hung in snow! The last major arrival of the species in the area was in January 2001, but fortunately for Waxwing lovers their invasions into Britain seem to be increasing in frequency. In the 1970’s and 1980’s there were often periods of 5-10 winters with virtually none seen at all.
In spite of the cold weather there was a coordinated reappearance of the local Stock Dove population on the 8th when six birds were occupying four of the nest boxes after their winter absence. They became a regular sight from then onwards. Other birds also quickly responded to the increasing day length and generally mild weather. Song and Mistle Thrushes were in song along with eight Robins on the 23rd before the brief spring was snuffed out by biting northerlies on the 30th.
