Frosty on the Patch!

 Anticipating we would be covered in freezing fog this morning, I didn't set me alarm or make any plans, it was a tad annoying when peeking out from behind the curtain at quarter to eight, to find bright sunshine!! So local Patch it is! I have neglected the Patch lately, mainly because the last few visits have been disappointing, what would today bring. It was kin cold , very frosty, however, my Daughter bought me some excellent cold weather gear for my last birthday and it passed the test with flying colours, bit to good when the sun was on me, sweating buckets at one point!! 

Parked up about 8 o'clock, yes  I know it's only a mile and a bit from the house and I probably could have walked it in the time I spent defrosting the car but I'm lazy!😢 The bottom of first field was caked in ice presumably flooded in the rainy autumn, but was easy to walk on solid as it was, a couple of Pied Wagtails skating around, pretty much the only sighting, though a Green Woodpecker flew in behind me and landed on a telegraph pole, the sun however meant pics were difficult!

Moon showed well

Sun was a bit bright!

Pied Wagtail

Strutting about

Green Woodpecker

Just about make out the red on the head!

Turned left at the Crossroads and headed up the hill, at the top the barn looks even more dilapidated, but still no Little Owl, a Female Stonechat was nice and the large steaming Dungheap, had a Song Thrush running around on it as well as a couple of Robins!

Moon was still out.

Song Thrush with the Sun behind it

Stonechat

Frosty Corvid

Stonechat

Headed down the hill towards the Vineyard, last few visits this has been the best area, was quiet today though, couple of Fieldfare, a Great Spotted Woodpecker, a single Greenfinch and a few Starlings the best of it, most very high in the trees.

Frosty scene

Top of a tall tree and heavily cropped, but you can tell what it is, Fieldfare

Great Spotted Woodpecker

Starlings

Quiet through the Vineyard, the views from the top were good as ever, even the Sheep were frosty, but again a bit quiet on the bird front.

Frosty Sheep

Hurstpierpoint Church

I walked down the hill to the church, it livened up a bit here with a Nuthatch constantly calling, Robins, Blackbirds and Song Thrushes in the leaf litter.

Nuthatch

Robin

Song Thrush

Out through the back of the Church, a Kestrel was perched up, but everywhere it relocated to was to far for good pics!

Kestrel

I walked all round the patch area, it was very quiet again, a few Song Thrushes, one  flock of Thrushes probably Fieldfares and Redwings, again distant, Nuthatch again and Starlings, a few Blue Tits about but none posed. I looped down Church Lane and back through the Church yard, Redwing in the leaf litter about the best of it!

Song Thrush

Nuthatch

Still some Autumnal colour about

Distant Thrushes

Redwing

Song Thrush

Kestrel

Stock Dove, several of these seen and lots of Woodpigeons

I headed down the glades, back towards the car, you won't be surprised to learn it was quiet, although towards the end were a couple more Song Thrushes and another Great Spotted Woodpecker.

Great Spotted Woodpecker, nice when shooting through branches that the Camera decides to focus on the bird rather than the smallest twig like it usually does, Result!

With Margie opting to stay home in the warm, it was down to me to try some arty stuff with the frosty seed heads! Failed miserably!

Back out in the first field, I found a couple of Goldfinches, feeding high in the Alders, I flushed a Little Egret, accidently obvs, from Cutler's Brook, which flew around giving some reasonable photo ops!

Goldfinch

Little Egret

Back at the car, when I was changing out of me Wellies, a final Song Thrush appeared to say goodbye, didn't stay long as it was chased off by a Blackbird.

Song Thrush

A very nice walk, Blue Skies and Sunshine, but nice and cold my favourite kind of day, could of done with a few more birds, but that's life!! Plenty of Song Thrushes about, hopefully the cold weather will see an influx of more winter migrants, fingers crossed a few of the Waxwings that are knocking about up North will head down our way!!