Janus

Janus was the Roman god of doorways - giving us words such as janitor - and of course the month of January. Two-faced, the Roman god looks back into the past and forwards through the doorway into the future. Looking back it has been a good year as my year list has reached 280 - my second best year since serious records began 10 years ago.

I'm also beginning to think about targets for next year. When I worked for a living I disliked targets but now I find I rather enjoy them as motivators. The crucial difference of course is that now I invent my own targets. Challenging but achievable...

This year's targets only led to success in 2 out of five but there were 2 'almost-made-its'! So not bad. More of next year's targets in the new year when Janus is looking the other way!

Back to the present or more to the point, yesterday, Sunday 27th December. Barry and I went to Spurn. For a longer ramble through our day and more pictures see http://barryjohnbishop.blogspot.co.uk/

We began at Kilnsea Wetlands to see the brent geese and scan for a black brant. Needles and haystacks come to mind. At first there were none but they soon flew in, in many diffferent groups. Sometimes just 3 or 4 at other times maybe 50 or 60 at a time. Cue photos. Brent Geese

Brent Geese Brent Geese

A redshank landed in front of the hide.

Redshank I wonder if by lowering themselves into the water just before take-off it gives a bit of extra lift?

Redshank Redshank

Redshank A little egret was present too but in the contrasting light was not easy to photograph well.

Little Egret

Four whoopers flew in - 3 adults and a youngster. As we left in Tiggy they flew over us. I grabbed the camera.

Whooper Swans At the Blue Bell cafe Barry spotted a pair of stonechats. Definitely stonechats but my book [Helm Guide to Bird Identification 2014] says of female stonechats: no supercilium. Didn't get a focus lock at first but... Stonechat

Looks like a supercilium to me!

Stonechat Stonechat Male into the sun.

Stonechat

A break at Canal Scrape was enhanced by a roe deer running back and forth.

Roe Deer As we were leaving for Bonby to watch short-eared owls, I spotted the brents in a field. I took lots of photos so I could armchair browse them later. Here's one [centre back].

Brent Geese

At Bonby we saw owls but perhaps we were a little late and there were a lot of birders there too. I'll go back when the holiday period is past. Only one shot worth a second glance.

Short-eared Owl A coastguard helicopter came over heading north.

Helicopter

Not sure if this will be the last post of 2015...

280 UK