27th-28th December 2016

December 30, 2016 • 69 Comments

Cold Snaps!

Tuesday 27th December

I'd forgotten what really cold weather was like but in the last few days the biting wind made it feel especially bitter. So, these are probably the last 'cold snaps' of the year. I begin on a day out with Sheila at Hartlepool. We diverted to Saltholme when the pager announced a couple of waxwings in the car park. By the time we arrived we were told they were at the Wildlife Watchpoint. They weren't. We headed back. Sheila spotted a kestrel over the Visitor Centre. I took a few fairly distant shots.

Kestrel Kestrel For some reason the camera refused to focus after that. I switched it off and on again and all was well. Meanwhile the bird headed off only to swing back round and pass over us. Here are just a few of the results. Kesfest 2016! Kestrel Kestrel Kestrel Kestrel Kestrel Kestrel Kestrel Kestrel Kestrel Kestrel Kestrel Kestrel Kestrel Kestrel Kestrel Kestrel Kestrel Kestrel Kestrel Kestrel Kestrel Kestrel Kestrel Kestrel

Returning to the car park I spotted a flight of waxwings coming in. Probably about 40. Most perched among the twigs of the big tree by the entrance bridge. This one was on the very top.

Waxwing Waxwing

Phil Stead hide pool held enormous amounts of water. Pintail looked well in the sunshine [and pretty close too!]... Pintail Pintail Pintail Pintail Pintail Pintail Pintail Pintail ...and a black swan was almost too close just outside the hide.

Black Swan Black Swan Black Swan Black Swan

Next we went to Newburn Bridge for lunch. Med gull was present. Purple sandpiper on the Headland a little later. Purple Sandpiper Walking the Town Wall I espied this pied wagtail. For anyone unable to get to Pembrokeshire for the masked wagtail, this is the lesser known black-bibbed wagtail from Cleveland!! Pied Wagtail Pied Wagtail

Eider from the Wall. Eider Eider

Wednesday 28th December

Barry and I headed for Bridlington and Flamborough. A stonechat by the lighthouse. Three shots all of the same bird. Striking how different combinations of the photographer, the sun direction and the bird make the bird look quite different. All photos processed identically - just a bit of cropping and sharpening. Stonechat Stonechat

Stonechat

We ended up at Bridlington Harbour before heading home. Before that we called at South Landing. Lots of not particularly easy to photograph rock pipits... Rock Pipit

Hope to see you in 2017!

Mediterranean Gull

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