When Is It Going To Get Warmer ??????

Well into the New Year and the cold weather is beginning to let up a bit HOORAY.  Managed to get out a few times since the 1st so heres a few photos of places I've been and things I've seen although I was counted out for a couple of day with a Viral Infection but thank god for anti-biotics.   Trip to St Marys was quite productive with most of the normal birds you would find there on view including several Goldeneye in North Bay and a couple of Cormorants who seemed to be giving an Eider a bit of grief.  Googled it but couldn't find any reason for the animosity they were showing unless they were possibly fishing very close to the Eider but the Eider was squawking away at them also.

Meanwhile back on the patch at Big Waters on Monday a very small bit of water was showing although this was soon frozen over again when we arrived on Saturday with only a small handful of ducks seen.  In the Feeding station the Yellowhammers were showing well along with a Brambling and a couple of Water Rail.

A trip to Gosforth on Monday afternoon brought several deer sightings.  The lake in front of the Pyle Hide is still frozen solid.  A walk round with Nigel and a stop off at another hide enabled us to see a Fox getting within 1m of a Bittern before it shot off. 

So back to work on Tuesday and after promising myself not to put anymore feeders up for the local toerags to pinch I decided a couple of cheapies from Poundland would do and within 2mins of putting them up and a few Fatballs the Tits and Finches along with a few Blackbirds were feeding away.

Saturday came round and off to Big Waters as mentioned above.  Noticed a couple of Bullfinches skulking in the undergrowth.

A bit of repositioning of various perches has gone on in the Feeding Station enabling one to get some better pictures including this delightful one of a Dunnock

Despite the frozen lake approx 40 Pinkfeet circled around whilst we were out walking, looking for a place to land and when we got to the lake there was roughly the same amount on the lake but putting the bins on them we soon realised they were Greylags therefore the Pinkfeet must have landed in the fields out of view (Alan J used this as a great example of his counting method LOL).  Finally a nice out of focus mood shot of two wandering Mute Swans after being chased by the resident couple

Finally on Sunday off to Gosforth again and the Pyle Hide was standing room only again.  Bitterns from a distance again although on a wander round I did come across my first Grey Herons there, possible early returners looking for a prime nesting site.  Well heres hoping its not a 4 layer clothing weekend again.