Let it snow, let it snow, let it.....

Wednesday 24 February 2010
An early morning "wandering" to the coast at Salthouse and the chance to catch up with some Snow Buntings. As I drove into the beach car park a few small birds flew up and I thought, excellent about twenty birds and still around......well there were more

in all about a hundred and twenty birds in all different stages of plumage, from dull females to bright males. Actually, they all looked superb, but rather fast moving and with dull light it wasn't easy. Here however is a medly, or should I say flurry of some Snow Buntings........

So a car park full of these great little birds and only me taking photographs, bitingly cold north east wind and just about to really get to grips with it when several more cars and birders arrived, so I left. Apparently these birds have been there a while and are used to being fed, another visit would be great if they hang on a bit longer.

Ruddy birds

12 February 2010

A drive back past Pentney Lakes allowed for a brief stop and scan, all the usual suspects...

. and then a couple of ginger suspects. Two Ruddy Shelducks, which at the right time of year and accompanied by the right mix of wild birds, could have been quite exciting. But as ever these somewhat dubious sightings are all too often escaped captive birds. They may have been in the wild for some years, but today they just didn't fire up the binoculars. A female Goosander was however a nice diversion. And as per last few trips the Common Gulls well outnumbered the Black-headed Gulls.

Back home for a coffee and looking into the garden and the field behind a small blob by one of the flooded ares. It wasn't an Egyptian Goose as usual so mega alert. A Sandpiper, I could hardly believe my eyes,

camera in hand and dashing out the door, but sadly not quick enough to beat the black and white cat that put the bird up the instance I got to the garden, a quick fire shot or two of a dark underwing and blindingly white rump confirmed it as a Green Sandpiper. After consultation with the oracle (Lammergeier Bedford)  it appears a few do overwinter. Cracking record for Pentney and the garden fields. And here it is....just !

So back to the cooling coffee, still not be drunk as the garden was invaded by Long tailed Tits.

Polish ramblings.......

Friday 29 January 2010
and it's off to Stansted to zip over to Poland for a short weekend break. Ok so it's cold over there but a quick visit to see how the house is going and maybe a few birds....

or some mammals, like these Roe Deer. Birds well ? hardly a thing moving. Perhaps the previous weeks'
 - 26 degres had something to do with it. Ravens and Rooks, that was it, plus a tantalising flock of small passerines, gone all too quick. House fine. temperatures falling and snow coming in again, back to Poznan

pictured here at 3.45pm

followed here pictured at 3.50pm - snow wipe out. The normal one and three quarter hours trip took three and a half hours.

More importantly no birds and I realised how much this made the trip feel a bit lacking. Still hopefully as the seasons progress and more than a few hours allow, the next trip will be better. That said the evening in Poznan we had was great.