Warning....Spotty Thrushes Inside!!

With a forecast of grey dullness and a slight chance of rain, I'd resigned myself to day at home, doing chores (or slobbing on the sofa catching up with "The Big Bang Theory"). Imagine my delight when about 8ish it seemed decidedly brighter than "grey dullness". Rather than risk a drive into more dull greyness I decided the Trailway was the way to go, a full 2 minutes walk from my front door, and TA-Daaaah, a raucous of Starling greeted me

Followed by a group of mixed Blue and Great Tits

The light throughout remained challenging, both changeable and also shooting into shadow, or the sun. There are a few houses that back onto the Trailway at the start, and sure enough the jibber jabber of a dozen House Sparrows abruptly stopped as I was spotted

It turned out there were a lot of thrushes about, Madam Blackbird to start with

Followed swiftly by the first of the dreaded Spotty Thrushes

Is it just me, or did (s)he look like someone had squished his head? Mr Blackbird soon popped up

Then the Dunnocks started playing silly beggars, by sitting up the top of trees, like it was spring time!

More Spotty Thrushes, in full voice

And more Tree Dunnock

A December woodland(ish) walk wouldn't be complete without a posing Robin

I was keeping over the fields for anything else that might catch my eye, and a pair of ludicrously distant deer did, and then in the same field, but considerably closer, a large fella looked like he's not long eaten

Another flock of Starlings flew over, and he lugubriously decided to flap off, the other way

There's something about Magpie wings I can't resist when they're flying, and there were a dozen or more flapping about through the walk

Another Spotty Thrush

And at last, some Redwing

And sharing the tree, I think it's a little female Chaffinch

A Long Tailed Tit family kept appearing and disappearing through the walk

Another migrant, this time probably departing

I was hopeful for some more finches, and the Chaffy didn't disappoint

The russet gorgeous in the sunshine, against the blue

Not quite sure what was going on here....but an escort of a naughty boy perhaps? 

The Tits were still peeping and cheeping

Now, any idea what this is? I spotted three or four along the same bit of path, all on thorny stems

More Magpie wing action, such a shame the sun had gone in, and grey sky had returned

One of the key rules of birding whilst walking....keep checking behind you.... If I hadn't I would have missed the next entrant....

Now, I'm still not sure, my very first thought in the field was Kestrel, then dismissed as it seemed too big, and it wasn't until I got home and lightened the images, I saw the barring on the chest, I'm edging toward Peregrine, because of the white bit at the top of the chest, but a Sparrowhawk would be more likely as I've never seen or even heard of a Peregrine in the area

Properly pleased with a) seeing it, and b) getting some images of it I nearly jumped out of my skin when a load of chattering happened no more than 10 feet from my head

They were nearly too close for the lens to focus on!

As I approached the end of the Trailway, who should pop out, but Mr Gorgeous-Russet himself, though he really should have wiped his mouth!

Hope you enjoyed my meandering, it turned out better than expected.

Any help with the bird of prey most appreciated.....also with the spotty thrushes, but I'm sure I still won't know which are which next time I'm out!!

Stay Safe All