Off to Marsh Lane in freezing weather.

Even with the temperature still only at -3C I layered up on Thursday morning and paid a visit to Marsh Lane.I got there just before 10.00 AM to find it sunny but bitterly cold.

There were loads of Reed Buntings and Yellowhammers on the fencing as I headed to the Car Park hide but not surprisingly I found the water frozen with nothing showing.

As I headed to the Oak hide I met up with Tony the only other birder foolish to venture out in these conditions.There was frost showing on the inside of the Oak hide so as expected the Railway Pool was frozen except for a small area near the gravel bar.The marsh area had some open water and several Common Snipe were enjoying themselves there.

A big bonus was when a Water Rail made a very brief appearance before scuttling off back into the reeds.First one I'd seen for ages.

Tony had spotted a Jack Snipe in the marsh but was well hidden and unwilling to move.

After nearly an hour waiting the Jack Snipe showed some signs of moving but one of the gang Moorhen thugs that had turned up chased it off and all I got was a shot of it being scared off and scurrying off into the undergrowth.

On the way back to the car park on the causeway I had a go at getting some seasonal shots.

As I headed back to the car park I met up with John Oates who told me about his recent trip to Suffolk to get the Hornemanns Redpoll which I didn't realise was such a rarity in England.By this time with the sun having disappeared my thermals had been penetrated  and I was very cold but managed to get a crappograph of one of the Bramblings that John had spotted amongst the huge mixed flock on the crop field.

A Jay in the garden.

There are three common birds that I struggle to get decent shots of and these are Jays,Green Woodpeckers and Common Buzzards.They all spot me miles away and fly off to the next county.I did OK with a Common Buzzard earlier in the week and got some half decent shots of one perched (see last post) and today I did OK with a Jay.

It was about 9.00 AM and I was scanning my own and my neighbour's garden for Lesser Redpolls that had visited recently but was struggling to see much in the misty conditions when suddenly a Jay landed on my garden fence.I was lucky to rattle off a few shots before it flew off.Not a bad spot for a small suburban garden.

An encounter with a Common Buzzard.

Wearing my fair weather birder's hat because it was so cold on Tuesday I went out in the car to see what I could find in the local area rather than walking round a local patch and risking getting frostbite.

I headed out to a field at Meer End where I had seen a largish flock of Redwings and Fieldfares  when I drove past last Saturday.However as I drove into pub car park which is adjacent to the field I saw a Common Buzzard not that far away sitting on a timber fencing rail.Although I've got some half decent shots of these chaps in flight my collection of perched shots can only be described as grim because they always fly off before I can get a shot off.

I stopped the car,wound down the window (still there),grabbed the camera (still there), focussed the camera (still there) but just as I was about to take some shots a car behind me pipped it's horn.I was blocking the car park.Damn and Blast !!!!!

I drove a few metres to get out the way and when I looked for the bird I was surprised to see it still there.Raised the camera (still there), focussed (still there),took some shots (still there).Now that I'd managed a few shots I was worried that it was either dead or a stuffed bird put out by the farmer but it wasn't and I'd at long last got some Common Buzzard perched shots.

There were a few Redwings and Fieldfares in the field but they were not close and the light was very poor.

Out in the Winter sunshine.

Although it was still pretty cold on Saturday morning the sun was shining so I thought I'd better get out there with the camera and try and get some shots.

Before I rattle on I was pleased yesterday when the Male and Female Blackcaps dropped into my garden for a brief visit.Managed a shot of the Male.

Now back to Saturday.First of all I checked out the two local berry trees where I found a lone Waxwing earlier in the week but no luck.I find it a bit baffling that they have not paid another visit as there are plenty of berries left.

I then drove over to the spot in Leamington where 150 Waxwings had gathered last Thursday but I never saw one and couldn't see why they had visited this spot because I couldn't see any berry trees.

I then drove across to Brandon Marsh arriving not long after 10.00AM hoping my luck would improve.Round by the back gate after shots of Redpolls and Siskins I managed a couple of shots of a Kestrel that flashed over.

I did get some shots of Redpolls and Siskins but were no better than last time so I am continuing to struggle this year with these chaps.

In the Baldwin hide I again had a go at getting a decent shot of a male Goldeneye.I always burn out the whites when trying to get the head right.Did a bit better.

Ended up in the Carlton hide which was as grim as ever with almost nothing showing although a Kingfisher paid several visits but never came close.It appeared to prefer sitting on the sluice box.

I gave up at 1.30PM and headed home.Nice sunny weather but no shots of any note.

Out in the bitter cold.

Like a fool I set off for Brandon Marsh this morning getting there not long after 10.30AM to find bright but bitterly cold day.

Now I knew it was going to be very cold so I was wearing seven layers but I hadn't been there 10 minutes when the bottom layer (my thermals) were penetrated and I was freezing.Not long after as I entered the Wright hide I found I was losing feeling in the toes to my left foot..Oh dear not so good.

Later on as I headed back to the centre I did see a lone Redpoll but when I attempted to get some shots my hands had frozen into claws.I'd forgot to put my gloves back on and therefore got no shots.The morning was not a total loss because the pretty waitress was on duty in the cafe and she looked stunning this morning.

To illustrate how badly I did this morning the only shots I got were of a Robin and these pose for shots at Brandon and the rear end of a Goldcrest.

Back home in Knowle I checked out a couple of berry trees for the umpteenth time for Waxwings.The first one had no Waxwings but did have a Mistle Thrush.

As I headed home I thought I'd switched off but my birding brain was still active because I spotted a lone Waxwing in someone's front garden (For any locals : down Four Ashes Road).Chuffed to bits to find a local one I managed a few shots before it flew off.

A morning at Brandon Marsh.

Not having been out for a few days because of the weather as soon as I saw on Monday morning that the sky was brightening up I set off for Brandon Marsh.However by the time I got there just after 10.00AM the skies had become very cloudy and just as I turned the engine off it began to rain.Damn and Blast!!!!!!

I very nearly headed back off home but when the rain stopped 20 minutes later I headed off down the muddy paths to the hides.I was wearing my designer wellies which I bought last year and which are nice and light,very warm and of course waterproof but have a major fault.There is little tread on the soles and have obviously been designed for posing and not walking down muddy paths because it's like walking on ice so I have to take ballet dancer steps when I negotiate the bad bits.

Not only were there no decent birds in any of the hides but there were no birders either.It wasn't till I'd been in the Carlton hide for half an hour that I saw my first birders.They soon got bored looking at nothing and started to talk about their recent birding trips which included the Gambia,Texas,Costa Rica and Alaska.I decided not to mention my recent birding trip to Draycote Water.

All I got shots of after an hour in the Carlton hide was of a distant Bullfinch and they were pretty poor.

I decided to give in then and headed back to the cafe for a cup of tea but luckily spotted a decent sized flock of Siskins and Redpolls. Unfortunately they were high in the trees so no decent pics but still nice to see.

The bad luck continued in the cafe when I found out that the attractive waitress was not on duty.However on the way home I did spot my first Fieldfare of the winter and managed a few shots out of the car window.

A frustrating morning at Shustoke.

On Friday morning I decided to go over to Shustoke reservoir because surely the Great Northern Divers and the Scoter would be closer in so I could get some decent shots.

What an idiot I am !!!!! If anything for all the time I was there they were even further away than they were on Thursday and to make matters worse it was a very gloomy morning and bloody cold as well.

Yet again I made the error of thinking they were closer to the far shore and going over there only to find that they were just as far away.Will I never learn? All I got for my efforts is wet socks.

These are the best shots I took all morning so you can see how bad the others were.