Out & About in Birdland

I had to pop down to Fairburn Ings RSPB today to get more peanuts and bird seed. It's crisis time for my garden birds if I can't top up the feeders in this weather. I started by visiting Pickup hide as the light was ok when the sun was shining which it did off and on. As someone said, the light was best when the birds weren't around. I expect his glass was half empty. Mine's full. Ordinary birds but they look nice, I think...

Long-tailed tit

Long-tailed Tit Long-tailed Tit Cheerio!

Long-tailed Tit Great tit, greenfinch and goldfinch

Great Tit Greenfinch Good image this one!

Goldfinch

Goldfinch

The bird I had hoped to see showed up too!

Willow tit

Willow Tit Willow Tit A pheasant skulked down below...

Pheasant ...and a shoveler looked pretty miserable on the ice near the visitor centre. I think he's about to fall over...

Shoveler

The Elusive Smew part two: on the trail of a White Nun.

Thursday 24th January 2013

Today I went first of all to Yeadon Tarn - it sounds very much out in the country but it's on the edge of a small town and right next to the Leeds-Bradford airport runway. However rumours of a drake manadarin were well-founded. Conditions underfoot were lethal so I left the camera and scope in the car. Pity as the drake mandarin was very close and confiding.

Next target was to be Sands Lane GP, Mirfield for the ring-billed gull. No sign but a couple of grey wagtails added a second tick of the day.

I resolved to go to Pugney's yet again as I had discovered that the white nun preferred a fishing lake north of Pugney's CP. So I walked. Signs in English and Polish warned me not to trespass... Was I near the Iron Curtain? No but I was near to my goal.

A crow loitered in my path.

Crow As I reached the fishing lake I saw the smew immediately confidently swimming out in the middle of the ice-free lake.

Smew Do you believe in angels?

Smew Smew Smew Smew I was distracted by birds passing behind me on the River Calder. A swan looked pretty contrasting with the black water.

Mute Swan This goldeneye showed just how green his head is.

Goldeneye Oh yes, out of devilry I've inserted this photo wrong way up! The reflection is at the top!!

The smew swam nearer into the brighter water. Black and white lines!

Smew Smew On the way back the black-headed gulls were gathering on the fence posts.

Black-headed Gull A shape attracted my eye near the car. I raised my bins.

Redshank 123