Your best three photos for the month of December 2017

Very nice selections Jim;   

Think we're a day early  but not sure I'll get anything tomorrow so here goes;   sorry if  similar pics have been on forum but I like these three lol

female Stonechat  ......

one of our two garden Jays .....

and a beautiful male Snow Bunting 

Thank you Hazel, I thought I would start if off now might be to busy the next few days :)

I might have seen one but they are still nice to see before the New Year.

Jim

Great start Hazy & James, My first is the return of our local Ring-billed Gull, seen here being chased off by a Common Gull

Our Black Redstart with his pile of mealies, he now gets tucked in along with the Tits & Robin

& finally a Hen Harrier on Xmas day

Not great shots but each has a memory!

I had to wait until today to catch up!  I normally take a few days off between Christmas & New Year, though Mrs WJ worked a couple of them, so I took myself off for a walk locally.  Unfortunately, it rained most of the time, so I got a bit soggy - but you shouldn't let that stop you :-)  Felixstowe beach - a little bit after the wally walking his dog came down the beach to see what I was doing and frightened all the birds away (sigh)

A different day, but just as soggy and very windy.  This time along the Gulpher Road, on the way back from Felixstowe Ferry (no sign of Clare, or anyone else for that matter - I was pretty much the only idiot about!)

I was going to include an end-of-year Bittern, but I've only just put up a thread on those, so instead, I'll go with a Minsmere Exmoor Pony.  Like the Koniks, they're used to manage habitat (the Koniks are OK in water, so are often on the scrape, but the Exmoors are less often seen out on the heathland).

Here's my three best photos for December.

Water Rail at Middleton Lakes

Nuthatch at Middleton Lakes

Reed Bunting at Middleton Lakes

My favourite 3 from December.

Little owl that I've been following the last 5 months.

Nuthatch transfixed to a tree, made it easier to snap with the bridge.

Grey heron in a local field.

A bit late but here's my three for December. One from home and two from the Algarve.

I liked the way this Redwing was tasting the berry with its tounge.

Quite a surprise to find Hoopoes still around. This one was taking advantage of the soft turf near a golf course.

Crag Martins were flying around in abundance. Not the most colourful bird but I was quite chuffed to get one in flight - not easy.

That's a beautiful set Tony and a cracking in flight shot of the Crag Martin