More shades of grey

A leucistic Fieldfare stood out from the flock on Saturday morning.

 A Buzzard awaiting air traffic control

and the closest I got to the West Hartford Shrike.

Bloopers

Anyone for a pile of shite?

It being the season where the broadcasters beef out their feeble schedules with images that should never have left the cutting room floor let me join with that spirit and offer three images that would have been good if only focus had been achieved.

Or, having recently had to adopt glasses for reading is it just me?

Another dark recording

Male Tawny Owl caught out in the sun a few years ago and female calling in the dark last month

It's that time of year again

No not Christmas.....Starling roost in the conifer trees next to my drive with consequent results. Numbers vary from 20 to 90 Starlings and thirty or so House Sparrows with two Collared Doves, Robin, Wren and Blackbirds as space permits.

The Starlings are happy anyway

two TC

Two Treecreepers making their way along the bumpy road the other afternoon. 

Those of a certain age will remember TC as Top Cat (or was it Boss Cat?).

Lots of Little

Grebes that is. Recent trips up the coast have seen five to eight each time I visit Hauxley and Cresswell so likely a breeding response to losses incurred during the harsh winters a few years back.

From NTBC reports it would seem that other species such as Kingfisher, Barn Owl, Stonechat and Wren that also suffered badly have also shown good signs of recovery.

Rescue me

Pre Christmas overload as every bugger seems to be stopping work on 19th and wants their pennyworth before. Boulmer boys doing regular sorties but they didn't stop to drop me a line.

Frost on the back roof hardly broken all week and garden heaving with birds so it's definitely winter.

As proven by the view from the back window. Howling gale from the west, fields flooding and snow on the Simonside hills. Now where's the thermal underwear for tomorrows expedition.

Tree sitting

Fine weather on Saturday but pretty average fare for the time of year. Most birds were sitting high up in trees with good numbers of Fieldfare, Starling and a smattering of Redwing up the bridle track. A flock of 100+ Golden Plovers was flushed from the fields of winter wheat to the North and a mother with two juvenile Mute Swans resided in the horse fields.

The Pheasant population have taken to roosting communally in recent weeks but eight Pheasant in a Hawthorn bush does not quite have the same Christmas ring as a Partridge in a Pear tree.

a bit of bully

Just to complement my pre-festivities depression the dark, dank days go on and on with the odd respite when the sun manages to get through. Roll on the year end depression.

No Wren tree