The numbers of duck were steady at the beginning of December, with up to the 350 teals and over thirty mallards being present. A little grebe and some coots were also seen. A Kingfisher was recorded on several occasions, throughout December, but departed when the main pond and moat were frozen over, with the onset of the severe cold spell of frost, in late December. The pond and moat remained frozen until early January. Some of the teal and mallard used the Ramsbrook, where the water continued to flow. On the 24th December,  five dark-bellied brent geese were found on the marsh and later were seen feeding in a nearby wheat field. 

With the ground frozen on the Decoy, up to eighty stock doves were feeding on the marsh, on the 26th December. Three kestrels were hunting the marsh edge and one was seen catching a mouse. With the cold weather, good numbers of birds were using the feeders: at least two great spotted woodpeckers, plenty of greenfinches, chaffinches and the usual collection of titmice were all busy. A couple of members of the Friends of Pickerings Pasture were fortunate to get good views of a woodcock when they flushed it from one of the pathways, when re-filling the bird-feeders. A work party from the British Association of Conservation Volunteers repaired some of the wooden screens.

A high tide in early January filled up the moat and most of the pools on the marsh, clearing the ice: unfortunately, by the 10th, the pond and the moat were frozen over again and  we had had a heavy fall of snow. It was interesting to see the many footprints in the snow, including a pair of foxes and many rabbits. Whilst most of the pools were frozen over, the Ramsbrook continued running and remained clear of ice: up to eight grey herons were counted along its bank trying to find food.

On the 11th January, six Bewick's swans, four adults and two juveniles, joined over 700 Canada geese, feeding in a nearby wheat field. As all the fields were covered in frozen snow many fieldfares, at least 350 skylarks and up to 400 starlings were actually trying to find food on the salt marsh. With all these birds present a male peregrine was seen on several occasions. Four ravens were also seen feeding on the marsh.

The Bewick's Swans were still present up to the 15th January and even though a good thaw was now setting in, the pond was still remained frozen over. Two of the ravens were actual displaying over the decoy wood! The little grebe was seen again, while up to eighty teals, several moorhens and mallards were also noted. On a working visit to the decoy, three woodcocks and at least eighteen pheasants were flushed from the wood.  A redpoll was seen and heard calling, but unfortunately the views were not good enough to confirm its race.

On the17th January, seventeen pink-footed geese were actually down on the marsh, feeding amongst the Canada geese. One raven and the male peregrine were still about as well as two jack snipe and at least eight common snipe, on the marsh. By the 24th most of the ice had now gone from the decoy pool and small numbers of mallard and teal were back again. A large flight of at least 350 pink-footed geese were seen over the decoy on the 26th January, flying in a westerly direction.

From the 28th January, at least three bullfinches were feeding on the bird table, amongst the many greenfinches and chaffinches. With a spell of warmer weather, eleven grey herons and a cormorant visited the Decoy, including several herons back at their old nests. A buzzard was sitting in the dead tree and over sixty stock doves feeding on the marsh. A good count of 238 teals was back on the pond, now the ice had cleared, together with eighteen mallards and two male shovelers. A large flock of over 400 wigeon were seen on the river.

A further cold spell in February brought back large numbers of birds to the feeders, including two female bullfinches, at least twenty five chaffinches and probably thirty five greenfinches, together with the pair of great-spotted woodpeckers. On the 5th February, a green sandpiper was using one of the floating islands as a roosting site; this species is unusual here in mid-winter. On 8th February,  thirty fieldfares and ten redwings were in the decoy woods and a pair of buzzards was circling overhead, displaying and calling. The pond was frozen-over again and remained so for several days.

The tides in early February were very high and flooded the marsh, surrounding the decoy on several days. From the hides there were excellent views of the numerous birds that were feeding right up to the main road. These included a massive flock of nearly 2000 lapwings, about 600 dunlins, 220 redshanks and at least 7 turnstones. Many Canada geese and ducks floated on the tide, picking at seeds which had been flushed out by the water. Voles and mice were flooded out by the tide and tried to swim to dry land but many of them were caught by the numerous gulls present. On the 6th February two flights of pink-footed geese were seen flying North-west.

Small numbers of lapwings, redshanks and dunlins were feeding on the marsh between the road and the decoy towards the end of the month, while two male ruffs were on a nearby pool. A little egret was again on the pool near the marsh hide and two woodcocks were flushed in the decoy wood. On sunny days the skylarks are singing: Spring is on its way........