Away Day - Part II

 Yes it was the

next where on the higher ground we found a number of what might be described as

'darker billed'

BLACKBIRDs

among the free-ranging
PONYs

while jamming into an overflying

PEREGRINE
at the same time and a

GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER
greeting us to

where immediately we spotted a pair of

GADWALL
so uncooperative that we had to drag this image from the archive for illustration.
Other than that, Waterfowl seemed totally absent so had to lean heavily on what few land birds were about such as the usual gang of

feeding

COAL TIT

NUTHATCH

and

jaunty little

MARSH TITs

before just a single

pair of

MANDARINs
chugged out of cover.
HERE'S HOPING THINGS START WARMING UP LOCALLY SOON!

A most welcome hike in Readers Hits saw yesterday's 556 rocket to 982 this morning. Here's hoping that is the Shape of Things to Come? Please pass the Link on where you can! Thank You!

AWAY DAY - Part I

 Althought year still remains 'young' we felt in need of an Away Day but with Longham Lakes still in lockdown the obvious next choice was

just across the Hampshire border and maybe, if time allowed, a wander across part of the New Forest. Not an unexpected start with Waterfowl predominent we kicked off with

a number of male

but unusualy only a single female

GOLDENEYE
in company with no more than a dozen

GOOSANDER

an even mix of 'red-headed' females

and quite the opposite

males.
The luckiest break of the visit had to be the very distant

RING-BILLED GULL
(from the America's) which has been resident for a while now but having usually left the roost by that time

for the feeding grounds presumed further inland and likely at a Pig Farm??
(images from the archive)

With little else to detain us we ventured across the road to find both

SISKIN

and

LESSER REDPOLL
at the feeder as usual but a couple of

BRAMBLING

flitting from perch to feeders

before moving on to the

(Siskins and Redpoll)
Woodland Hide
from where the (presumed) returning

BITTERN

was seen directly underfoot.

Under another set of circumstances the Ring-billed Gull, a visitor from the America's, may have taken pride of place as Bird of the Day, but for its secretive nature the Heron took the trophy!
ONWARD and UPWARD
Part II Tomorrow.

Three in a Bed - Nursery Rhyme

A bright, sunny and frosty day again, just how we like them, started with prolonged views of the resident male

KESTREL

perched high above the

Main Pond

doubtless with only one intent in mind while also passing through what is belived to be a new aircraft for us, but the memory ain't what it used to be.

BOMBARDIER GLOBAL EXPRESS
of
Gama Aviation U.K.
In sharp contrast with previous days there were 'some' Birds across the southern reaches including small numbers of both Northern Thrushes

REDWING

maybe as many as 2 dozen

with fewer

FIELDFARE

gorging on the berries of the

Ornamental Trees

close to the Manor.

Flanked by in-flight

MUTE SWANs

as heading north we will be quick in announcing that we have finally

Cracked It

all c3

LITTLE GREBEs

in one shot as long as you are prepaed to accept the ripples of the

diving bird to starboard?

and also on the Gravel Pit in company with a Moorhen and the still resident pair of

GADWALL

while further on, at the Moors River, a somewhat better

'click'

and

'clip'
of one of the c4 now resident
EGYPTIAN GEESE

and finally

parking at the tree surrounded Sainsburys Supermarket (no we cannot get around it either)

a most obliging

NUTHATCH
performed before our very eyes, a fine end to the day, and yet another addition to the
 Year List