A snow free day out.

Desperate to go out birding now the snow had gone I decided on Monday morning to go to Draycote Water.My cunning plan was also to call in at the Granborough Valley to see if the Great Grey Shrike was still about.

It was dull and misty when I walked along the muddy path to the GG Shrike area but with help from another birder I located it on some wires.Unfortunately it was along way off and it didn't hang around for long before it flew a long way off westwards.Here are a couple of the worst GG Shrike shots ever taken but at least I saw it.

I then took the short trip to Draycote Water where I decided to walk to the inlet.Didn't see much except for 6 Goosanders and a Kestrel in the top of a tree.

Back at the centre I was told the Great Northern Divers were near Toft in the morning so I thought I'd have a quick look before heading home.I soon found them but they were right across the other side but for once I was patient and after half an hour they came in fairly close to the Pectoral Sandpiper beach.Here are a few shots.

After the GND's had moved on a Kestrel appeared not too far above my head.Unfortunately when I was taking shots of the GND's I was using a teleconverter that was still attached to my lens and you lose autofocus so lots of crappographs taken.Here a some of the better shots.