A couple of local trips.

Last Saturday afternoon I paid a visit to Marsh Lane mainly to enjoy the excellent weather but also to hopefully see some decent birds.

There were loads of dragonflies about but my hopes of seeing a late Hobby failed.In fact the only shots I took were of the controversial Yellow-legged Gull that's been there for a few days now and a lone distant Dunlin. Both on the railway pool.

Over the weekend I set up a winter bird feeding station and as I'm hopeless at DIY this was a major undertaking for me.It soon had some success with the usual garden birds visiting.The star visitor was a Coal Tit and a Greenfinch which were once common in my garden but now very rare.

On Thursday morning keen to enjoy the fine weather I went to Brandon Marsh.This is not a good move on a Thursday because it's working party day and so it proved because I had a very lean time with the camera and only got some shots of an Egyptian Goose.As often the case at Brandon Marsh lately the highlight of the visit was having a chat to the very pretty waitress in the cafe.

As I was leaving my good friend Jeff Rankin tipped me off that there were a pair of Orinoco Geese were at Brueton Park in Solihull.As this was not far from where I live and the fact I'd never heard of them before let alone seeing one I thought I'd call in there and try my luck.

I soon found them with a group of Canada Geese.They are from South America so I don't know whether they will survive unless recaptured.Very nice looking Geese.