Back to Reality

 So after yesterday's Birdfest, could today prove as good, short answer No!!! Now I'm not saying Margie is a Jinx but think the stats speak for themselves, yesterday on me own Merlin, Red Kite and Kestrels nearly landing on me head, today a distant Sparrowhawk, Long-tailed Tit and a Snipe the best that could be mustered although as she pointed out I wouldn't have had her fabulous company? 😉😏

To be fair, it wasn't that bad learning the lessons from yesterday, I left the Long-Johns and the Balaclava at home, though missed the Balaclava face was frost bitten by the time we got home. 4 miles walked today, a loop around the north of the village, Langton Lane, Mill Lane then back across the fields, Blackcap was in the garden again before we left which was a good omen.

Starling from yesterday in the Sunshine

Blackcap

Blackcap

We got to the Dungheap with no significant  sightings, although yesterday's Rabbit seems to have found a friend, The Dungheap itself was quiet and the hedges all around were quiet although plenty of Robins and Blackbirds indeed it wasn't until we reached Mill Lane that we started to see some Redwings in a field and they were distant. A group of crows appeared mobbing a Raptor but it turned out to be a Sparrowhawk rather than anything more exciting! The Sprawk buried itself in a tree to avoid the mob.

Rabbit with friend

Distant Redwing

Sparrowhawk

Things picked up a bit as we headed back across the fields, a few more Fieldfares and Redwings dotted about a flock of approx 10 Long-tailed Tits lingered briefly in an Oak tree,we saw a herd of about 6 Roe Deer running along the hedge line ,unfortunately the other side from us so no pics, by the time I got to a position for a shot they disappeared into a small wood, which kind of summed up the day!!

Fieldfare

Fieldfare

Redwing

Redwing

Long-tailed Tit

Long-tailed Tit

Long-tailed Tit

The Church

Wolstonbury Hill

Church & Wolstonbury Hill

The fields here had quite big numbers of Starlings and a few Thrushes, as we crossed the field a dog walker coming the other way flushed the Starlings which provided an excellent photo opportunity.

Low flying Starlings lit up by the wintery sun

Quite pleased with how they came out!!

We walked back down Langton Lane, nice to see some Sparrows out of our garden and a couple of Redwings in a tree, the Dungheap had livened up a lot, with multiple Song Thrushes and Blackbirds, a Wren, the two resident Pied Wagtails and the Grey Wag was also present.

Redwing

House Sparrow

Song Thrush

Blackbird

Wren

Pied Wagtail and Grey Wagtail

Pied Wagtail and Grey Wagtail

The field below the Heap was also heaving with birds Fieldfares and Redwings as we walked down the path a bird flushed out, this was the same areaish where yesterday I thought I'd flushed a Woodcock however it was brief view and a snatched pic, well todays bird  flew around a bit allowing several pics which  show a Snipe!!!! So coincidence? Was yesterday's a Snipe as well, I'm not really sure, felt yesterday's was a bigger bird and it definitely behaved differently to today's but not sure at all now!! Sometimes you see what you expect to see and in my defence yesterday's was about a 10 second view most of which I was trying to get the camera on it!! Selection of pics of today's bird below, the white trailing edges to the wings are pretty diagnostic of Common Snipe

That was about that on returning home the Blackcap was still in the garden, though it had left the apple and was feasting on the small black berries on a tree, the Sparrows love these berries as well not sure what the tree is though it hangs over our fence from outside.