Out and About

On Saturday we were in York doing a little Christmas browsing, at dusk we were by the Christmas Market in the centre as Pied Wagtails started flying in to roost, it was an amazing sight, there were maybe a couple of hundred in the end with a few stragglers coming in as we walked about. A Sparrowhawk flew through them as they came in scaring a flock out of the trees, it didn't catch anything and soared off round the buildings. 

I caught this Wagtail in a car park in Morley, there have been a few in the town centre the past couple of weeks

In the Scatcherd Park I noticed, on the way to work, the Redwings arrived at the end of last week, I had a little time to walk around with the camera on Monday morning, however they are very flighty and are off at the first sign of people!

This Crow though was not in the least bit bothered!

There are Blackbirds everywhere, the one in the second photo had just swallowed a huge worm.

Woodpigeon

Blue Tit

The only decent shots I manged to get of the Redwings,

The park was beautiful in the sun though in parts it was still quite frosty.

A little closer to home I spotted this Mistle Thrush taking a drink from a dripping pipe!

There were a few Chaffinch nearby too. 

I'm going to miss my commute to work over the holidays!

Around the Patch

I've managed to get out and about a little around the patch mostly some quick walks around the woodlands before work and a stop there last Sunday afternoon to do a Butterfly count.

Ringlet

Comma 

There were Small Skippers everywhere, the last one is possibly an Essex Skipper.

I also spotted this Damselfly on the pond

Other butterflies seen - Small Tortoiseshell, Meadow Brown, Large White and Speckled Wood

There are a fair few young birds around there - Great and Blue Tits, Woodpigeon, Dunnocks and Robins. In fact i've never seen so many Woodpigeons there, i've spotted a couple of nests over the past few months, they've obviously done well!

Similarly the woods are full of Squirrels too. 

There are plenty of other smaller bugs about too, we spotted Vapourer Moth Caterpillars, Hoverflies, Soldier Beetles. Plus this huge hoverfly like insect sat by the stream, maybe a Sawfly?

A few more pictures from the Woods.

New Information Board

Woodpigeon

Spotted this chap in the garden earlier going through the bird seed like it was going out of fashion. It's back/wings were are lot lighter than normal so I'm thinking it was a youngster?

Wordless Wednesday