A New Year.....

 A Happy (if slightly belated!) New Year!

As usual I was up and out for a walk around town early on the 1st, the highlights being a pair of Goldcrest, 3 Mistle Thrush chasing each other and a single Redwing in the supermarket car park! Redwings have been missing this winter so far, usually there are at least a dozen around the park from early November right through to Feb/March but so far i've only seen a couple of flocks flying over. 

Mistle Thrush

Goldcrest

Distant Redwing

We spent our bank holiday morning at St Aidan's, it was lovely and sunny but very cold! It's always nice to add birds to a new year list, it's like seeing them new all over again! Some highlights were a low flying Red Kite, a diving Black-necked Grebe and lots of very flighty Lapwings. 

Gadwall

Lapwings

BNG

As we walked around this partial rainbow was in the distance until we were leaving when we watched it fill the sky, i've not seen that happen before

In the garden my husband found lots of fungi hidden amongst the ivy on our Laburnum trunk, I think it's perhaps Oyster mushrooms?

The garden has been packed with birds, when i've been at home it's non stop around the feeders all day long and it's a joy to watch. Now i'm back to work of course I barely see the garden in daylight during the week but I do get to see some lovely sunrises on my commute!

Spot the goats!

On first day back to work this week I had a walk in Churwell woods beforehand and saw a record number of Chaffinch by the feeders - at least a dozen. Elsewhere a Kestrel has taken to hunting a field on a regular basis now dog walkers have been stopped from using it. 

After work the same day after some information from local birders (thanks again!) I went back to the woods at duskish (it was quite dark) to see a brilliant patch tick in the form of a Barn Owl which has been seen around for some time. I thought we might have missed it as I was delayed leaving work a little but luckily our walk through the mud in the dark was worth it as we saw it quartering the fields for some time before flying through the woods. We saw it perched in a tree - a perfect Owl silhouhette - as we were leaving too! A great start to the year!

Finally..........

....made it out for a walk outside of the local patch! I had a couple of days off to repair a bit of a DIY disaster, which went better than expected, thankfully. So we had a free day and got out early to Swillington Ings (St Aidan's) hoping with it being a week day it would be fairly quiet, which it was. 

The sound of the Gulls as we got out of the car was deafening! My husband spotted one of the Little Owls in the dragline compound - a good start to the day. 

Too distant for my camera but the Little Owl is on the fence

Mallards and a Rabbit under the feeders

I heard the first of many Sedge Warblers as soon as we got near the water along with Reed Buntings, Lapwings, a Common Tern flew over and Sand Martins around the sand bank. Everywhere we walked we could hear the Black- headed Gulls, they nest all over the reserve and eventually you get used to the noise. I saw my first  Swifts of the year (now I just need them back on the patch). 

Lapwing

Grey Heron

Reed Bunting

Walking around the main lake to the causeway, Willow Warblers, Chiffchaff, Robins, Blackcap were singing. The view back towards the visitor centre was lovely, the weather was perfect for walking (and we got back in the car later just before it rained too).

Chiffchaff

The Swans were showing off around the edge of the causeway, we could see Shoveler, Shelduck and Gadwall.

Gadwall

Mute Swan

Walking between the reedbeds I saw movement in the reeds over the water -  a Bearded Tit, one of those birds that I always have trouble seeing and it just popped up in front of me! Then as we walked by Astley Lake, lots of pinging and there were at least 4 Bearded Tits in the reeds next to us - what a joy, we watched them for a few minutes, I gave up trying to get a good photo they were constantly on the move. They quite made my day!

Turning back towards the visitors centre a  Grasshopper Warbler was reeling, Meadow Pipits, Linnets and a Wheatear were along the path. A chap kindly pointed us in the direction of Whimbrels so we took a detour and found them easily, a life bird for me! Today was definitely going well!

Linnet 

Meadow Pipit

We stopped for a tea before we left and just sat a while soaking up the atmosphere. I didn't realise just how much i'd missed getting out, I love my little home patch but it was really good to be somewhere else for a while!

Swillington Ings

I'd seen lots of photos the Short-eared Owls at St Aidan's over the Christmas holidays but the first time I could go was this past Saturday. Unfortunately they decided not to play and despite freezing ourselves to the bone for some time we decided to give up and go warm up!

Beforehand though we took a walk around some of the reserve, it was a little windy but quite sunny.

We saw plenty of birds though and made a nice start to my year list, Shovelers, Teal, Wigeon, Gadwall, calling Curlew, lots of Kestrel action and a whole load of noisy Greylag and Canada Geese.

Shoveler

Mute Swan

Tufted Duck

Kestrel

We also saw Rabbits and Hares on the hillside and Stock Doves on the dragline. 

St Aidan's

We had a couple of hours at S Aidan's last weekend, luckily we were able to pick a time when it wasn't raining - a rare thing a the moment! I'm still busy with work, which is just exhausting plus fighting a cold so we weren't out as long as i'd hoped but I was glad of the fresh air!

It turned out to be quite a nice day and got warmer as we walked. We even spotted this fresh looking Painted Lady by one of the lakes.

Quite a few Starlings were flying over the hillside, smaller groups kept joining up and then breaking away again, every now and then they'd land but not for long. 

Lots of noisy Greylag and Canada Geese too and 5 Red-legged Partridge on the same hillside, too far for a photo though.

This Whooper Swan was preening itself in the sun, I found out it's a resident due to having something wrong with it's wings, it can fly but not far, there are worse places it could stay though.........

We were just commenting on the lack of Gulls when all of a sudden they came flying in from all directions, landing on the water and the fences.

The Causeway was flooded, not that it bothered some, we watched one guy take off his shoes & socks, roll up his trousers and wade across!

We saw a few Linnets and Stonechat, Lapwing, Kestrels, Buzzard and lots of Shovelers amongst others. A good afternoon.