Dismal Day

          Two hours searching for Crossbill & Brambling on a
          dark, cold, frosty and dismal morning up at Walshaw
          Dean but trying photography in this morning dull light is
          a nightmare, I need to get me a  £10'000 f2 lens ha ha
          ( In my dreams ). First birds I came across were 2
          male Pheasant as I was driving up to Walshaw, first
          birds on the moor were 2 Mistle Thrush, 2 Stonechat,
          and Crows. Then up to the plantation in high hopes but
          nothing so I waited & waited & waited, finally I heard
          the Crossbill calling but at a distant and then they finally
          made an appearance about 6 of them but none came close
          to the pathway trees so getting a decent shot was difficult.
          A single Buzzard flew high overhead about 8 Goldfinch
          and similar number of Goldcrest were in the woods but
          no sign of the Brambling worst luck, and 2 Fieldfare were
          on the telephone wires.
                                               I was tired and cold so thought I'd
          have a look at Fly Flatts, Wainstalls and Soil Hill on the
          way home, I shouldn't have bothered as one Stonechat was all
          that was to be seen, even JL's Little Owl wasn't playing out.
          One Mistle Thrush, 2 Blackbird, 4 Goldfinch in the garden.
          I should've gone out later as the sun came out after 1 o'clock.