Photocall

Out this cold frosty morning armed with a (slightly) better camera to take some shots for future blog posts, needless to say most of the smaller water bodies were frozen at first but by midday the sun had got to work and some birds had returned to their favoured feeding areas.

The walk down past Castle Lake noted Kestrel, Grey Partridge, Great-spotted Woodpecker, Fieldfare, Redwing and Mistle Thrush, with about 300 Golden Plover circling just to the north-west.

One of the first birds seen along the bridlepath was a female Goosander, which landed briefly on the Stell before flying off towards Hardwick Hall. Other birds seen either side of Fishburn Lake included more Fieldfare and Redwing, Long-tailed Tit, Willow Tit, Treecreeper, Tree Sparrow, Goldfinch, Bullfinch, Yellowhammer, Reed Bunting and a few Skylark over the top.

Treecreeper near Fishburn Lake.

A brief diversion to check the unfrozen Low Hardwick Pools which held a Grey Heron and the two Mute Swans that usually hang out on Alan's Pool. A Buzzard flew past towards the flashes.

On Fishburn Lake were the two adult Mute Swans with their six cygnets, twenty Mallards and another Heron. Alan's Pool had the regular wintering Green Sandpiper with a Redshank for company.

Final call of the day saw 100+ Greylag Geese and three Redshank at Stoneybeck Lake and rather surprisingly, a female Pintail on the Farnless Farm Pool.