Grapevine Beauty

     I've been working nights this week so it was nice to get
     a message through the grapevine about a Snow Bunting
     found by Dave S up Ringby Lane tho it was too late to
     do anything about it yesterday so popped up this morning after work
     in dark wet and cold weather, as I was walking up the hill
     I spotted Dave S up there who pointed me in the right direction,
     how he spotted the bird yesterday I've no idea but a great job done
     by him and what a beauty she was, it wasn't easy getting a shot of her
     with gale force winds blowing us off our feet.
   
     While I was there up another 5 people turned up with camera's in hand and
     the weather getting worse, she was turning into quite a celebrity, I keep
     saying she as me and Dave S decided she was a female, also while on
     the top field a Raptor was seen being mobbed by Crows at the bottom
     of the track but couldn't get a positive ID and in the far distance a
     Curlew was flying over Halifax again spotted by Dave S and confirmed
     by me and AT, I think Dave S must be related to Superman with his
     excellent vision, he spots birds for fun.

     On the way back down to the car I spotted a bird on the quarry track
      and with rain covered eyes thought and hoped it was a Twite but as
     it got closer I realised it was a drenched Meadow Pipit, I even shouted
     to Dave S that i think its a Twite  until it got closer and then I felt like
     a numpty, also in quarry were 6 other small birds but couldn't ID them
     properly, back at home in the garden were 2 Mistle Thrush, Blackbirds,
     Starling and 2 Collared Dove.

     Thanks to the grapevine I got another 2 ticked off on my yearly bird count,
     and nice to meet other birders up there.

RSPB Day Out

      Had a day trip out yesterday with the RSPB to Clumber Park
      in Nottinghamshire and Potteric Carr Nature Reserve in search
      of all 3 Woodpeckers and Hawfinch that have been seen there
      but came away with zilch, mind you I think you'd have to be
      there a lot earlier to catch these as it gets unbelievably busy
      from 10 o'clock onwards but still had a nice morning there and
      bumped into a nice lad from Sheffield who I had met before at Rodley
      and also visits Cromwell NR regularly.

      It was then on to Potteric Carr for the afternoon in dark cloudy weather
      not good for photography and also while travelling there thinking it
      was a shame my old pal Linford wasn't on the trip, but the people on
      the trip said that he'd been poorly so hoping you get well soon friend.

     I've never been to Potteric before and I'm glad I was there with other
     people or I'd of got lost as the place is massive, anyway walked around
     and looked out of numerous hides in hope of seeing a Bittern and guess
     what ? after a few hours I seen one with my mate Mike who was on the
     trip and another bloke who's name I've forgotten let us look through his
     scope for a definite ID so was well chuffed.
     I didn't get to see the Marsh Harrier that was seen flying over.
     So overall it was a cracking day for birding but not so good for photography,
     I ended up with 45 species of birds and the wife rang saying there was a
     Sparrowhawk on the garden shed which was nice to hear.

     During the week through the grapevine, Hen Harrier flew over Cromwell,
     Peregrine over Boothtown, skeins Pink Footed geese seen over Shibden
     and a few other places.

     Birds Today-:
     Blackbird     Starling    Bittern   Blue Tit   Buzzard   Lapwing   Shelduck
     Goldfinch     Siskin     L.Redpoll   Great Tit   Nuthatch   GoldCrest  Teal
     Heron   Shoveller    Common, Herring, Great Black Backed, Lesser
     Blackbacked, Blackheaded Gulls    Chaffinch   Coal Tit  Robin  Jackdaw
     Magpie  Crow   Gadwall   Tufted Duck   Mallard   Mute Swan  Pochard
     Great Crested Grebe    Kingfisher    Long-Tailed Tit   Song Thrush
     Marsh Tit   Greylag   Canada Geese  Oystercatcher   Snipe  Coot
     Moorhen   Pheasant.
     Wren, Cetti's Warbler and Stonechat heard but not seen.

                                          Find the Bittern

Valentines Day Special ( LSW )

    Got a message through the grapevine that 5 Whooper Swans
    were at Ogden, so got myself ready for the journey over there
    but then got a message that they'd flown off so was a bit gutted,
    I then decided to hit Soil Hill and Taylor Lane, nothing but crows
    at Taylor Lane, had a look for the Little Owl on the way up to Soil
    Hill but no sign of it, I then had a walk around the hill where there
    were 8 Skylark, 3 Meadow Pipit a Wren and 30+ Lapwing in the
    bottom fields and NK doing his rounds, hope he had better look than
    me, I then took a trip down Park Lane where it was much better, GSW,
    Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Blue, Great and Coal Tits, Goldfinch, Robin,
    12 Brambling, Collared Dove, Blackbird, Jay. As I was getting a bit
    cold in one spot I decided to take a trip down to Coach Road and I'm
    so glad I did as I finally got to see a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker at the
    bottom of the track at the top of the Ivy trees so I was over the moon but
    the only downfall was it was as quick as a flash and had no time to
    photograph it, I hung around the same spot for half hour but it didn't
    show again, I only got to see it because I was looking at some LTT'S
    through the bins and it came out of the top of the Ivy on the underside
    of a branch and by the time I'd got my camera ready it had flown across
    to a nearby tree but must of been on the other side of it, but at least I got
    to see it and a big first for me so still chuffed.

    Other birds there and in my garden were, Nuthatch, Robin, Redwing,
    Blue & Great Tits, LTT'S, Dunnock, Wood Pigeon, Jay, Jackdaw,
    Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Treecreeper, Mistle Thrush and Sparrowhawk.