Back on the patch

 Waking up after yesterdays heroic mountaineering escapades I was surprised to find I could still walk😀(Always a bonus these days to be honest) so decided with a fairly decent weather forecast to head out on to what I now regard my local patch off the London Road. Dropping Margie of at work (still no rest she must be very wicked👿) I headed out, the moon was shining big and  bright and there was a nice red tinge to the sky, unfortunately the moon wasn't available to photograph from where I park the car, however the sunrise was quite good!! The whole experience enhanced & heightened by the thoughtful dog walker who had kindly left 2 brightly coloured bags of shit on the floor, so considerate!😡 I know you shouldn't judge all by the behaviour of a few thoughtless individuals, but I do!! 

Sunrise 

Sunrise

Some strange cloud formations lit up even stranger by the sun

To think twas only yesterday I stood upon this mighty peak!

Yay!!Pretty dog shit bags amongst the frosty grass!!

I figured if I hurried I could get clear of the trees and try for a picture of the magnificent Moon, I nearly ran but thought better of it was very frosty and slippy and then I got distracted by a fox and by the time I got to a clear bit the Moon was sulking and had hid itself behind a cloud!!!

Fox in dawn light

Snuffling about

Keeping an eye out! Looked in good condition!

Moon playing silly buggers was a shame because it was pretty spectacular from the car!

So headed down the glades very muddy, icy and slippery but I was like a nimble gazelle moving effortlessly along (nearly fell over twice and got boot stuck embarrassingly though rescued the situation magnificently!!) As yesterday the first birds I came across were a flock of Tits  and again as yesterday mainly Long-tailed Tits and yet again as yesterday my pictures are pants, though in my defence the sun wasn't fully up!!

Blue Tit

Icy, was pretty nippy out there this morning

Long-tailed Tit 

As the sun came up the birds became more active, several Nuthatches were calling Great Spotted and Green Woodpeckers were flying about 5 thrush species were about mostly high in the trees catching the sun; pictures were at a premium though I did manage a Treecreeper shot and with Margie not present, it was down to me to take spooky pictures of trees so I attempted that as well!

Spooky Tree pic

Different Spooky Tree

Frosty Teasel sadly without Goldfinches

Treecreeper ,can you spot it?

Fieldfare catching some rays

I headed down Church Lane, was warming up nicely at the Church a nice selection of birds, Great Tit and Blue Tit both showed well, a couple of scrapping Nuthatches evaded the camera a male Bullfinch did his best to avoid it as well. He departed north and a flock of 5 more 3 Male and 2 Females came in from the south they also tried had to avoid having their picture taken but I managed some record shots, a couple of Stock Doves posed ok and more Fieldfares were knocking about.

Great Tit

Bullfinch being difficult

Blue Tit

Stock Dove

Stock dove

Couple more Bullfinch

Fieldfare

Blue Tit checking out next years nest hole

I did another loop around, a Kestrel sat high in a tree a pale Buzzard in another though distant, a Raven flew over cronking more Fieldfare and Redwing were flying about the place calling, the sun was lighting up the place nicely some of the trees really stood out though my pics largely failed to do them justice.

This tree really looked nice in the sunlight, stood out but doesn't really come over in the pics

Pale Buzzard

Fly-over Raven

Mistle Thrush several about

Fieldfare and Redwing Combo

Fieldfare

Fieldfare

Kestrel

Kestrel

I found myself in Church Lane again, hopeless sense of direction😀 I looked over a gate into a grassy field and found out where all the Fieldfare had gone, probably about 40 all told spread out over the field, nice to see them out in the open!! A few pics below.

After much internal debate I decided to head up to the vineyard and walk around back to the car, up until now the ground had been nice and flat, after yesterdays extreme sport activity😀 the last thing I needed was another climb ,but it's a pretty gentle slope and I was able to continue my series of Hurstpierpoint Church from different angles series of pics! 

Song Thrush in the hedge along the Fieldfare field

Wolstonbury scene of yesterday's Triumph!

Jack n Jill much nicer weather today

Hurstpierpoint Church from yet another angle

At the Vineyard a shepherd was rounding up the sheep that had been in the vineyard and moving them into the field I was in ,interesting to watch his dog go about it's work, although at some points it seemed on a different wavelength to the Shepard!!😀 They got them there in the end though and I continued along the path ,all the shouting and rampaging sheep had stirred up the birds, a loose group of about 15 Skylarks were flying around as were a flock of about 40 Starlings a mini murmuration occurred but I missed the picture duh!! Couple of Meadow Pipits flew up and sat on a fence post and some Redwings sat in a tree long enough for me to get a picture hurrah!!

Redwing in a tree

Pipit on a Post

Starling, I missed the other 39!!

I headed back to the car ,briefly distracted by a couple of Goldfinch and a Robin, making a bid for the December slot in next years Calendar, lots of Robins, Blackbirds, Dunnocks and Wrens seen about the place.

Goldfinch

Robin

Goldfinch with seed

Well that was about it, nice to be out in some sunshine for a change much easier for half decent pictures, I probably should have posted some 😀. Another 3 and a half miles walked after yesterdays 4 and a half I can feel the Christmas poundage falling off, unfortunately I can feel it piling back on again when I'm home and let loose amongst the chocolates and cake!!!