Fickle, flighty, feathered friends flitting fecklessly fru foliage!

The forecast for Friday gone had been looking glorious for about 5 days. Each of those days I checked the Met Office website at least twice for changes, but no, right up until Friday it showed unbroken sunshine, light to no wind and relatively pleasant temperatures.

I decided it was about time I went to Blashford Lakes again, not having been since late summer/autumn, and once again (until I'd got there) I'd forgotten how far away everything tends to be from the hides. Worse this time, as with the amount of rain we've had the lakes were covering the small areas of land adjacent to the hides.

Undeterred, I was greeted in the car park by a tuneful Robin

Who I'm sure took great delight in poo-ing on my car after I'd gone! From the first hide there were loads of ducks, Wigeon, Gadwall, Tufties and Pintail most numerous, but all too distant to bother snapping. I wandered on toward the 2nd hide, hopeful of seeing a Jay or two like I did last year, but no luck, just a couple of Great Tits, and Coal Tits (look at that sky!!!!)

As I walked along the path I saw some movement and headed off the beaten track to see wht I'd spied.... Treecreeper

Overhead I could hear the chitter chatter of Lollipops

And finally he made his way in to some decent light (which confused the camera!)

Pleased with the day so far, I decided to chance it and head to the hide where the Kingfisher was last year, but on the way, soft tinkling and twitching leaves caught my senses...

Up until this point, I had taken 398 images, in an hour.... guess how full the Bad Pics thread could be lol!!

I got to the hide.... DOH..... It was the wrong one! I took a seat anyway, to look at more distant ducks, still Wigeon, Gadwall and Tufties mainly, and then retraced my steps, passing the now empty Goldcrest tree to the right hide. Sighhhhh.... still just ducks and distant ones at that. On the way out, I saw my first bumble bee of the year!

A call of nature headed me toward the visitor centre, and on the way two ladies with cameras were staring intently up a tree. I waited for one of them to look round, and asked what they'd seen.... Firecrest was the reply. All thoughts of bladder relief forgotten, I too started looking up.... movement.... Lollipop!

More movement.... Firecrest!

About 150 pictures later, that was the only usable one! With the little beggar disappeared I headed to the loo, then returned to the car for lunch, before heading to the woodland hide where all manner of more common birds congregate at the feeders. The windows don't open in that hide, so I stayed outside switching between shooting over a fence at the feeders, and looking at the other side of the path

Robin

Siskin

Goldfinch

Siskin

Furtling through the leaf litter, Redwing

Scurrying up along a fallen tree..... Another Treecreeper

Siskin

Multiple!

Nutty!

And a Chaffie, the only male I saw, but two or three females were about (quite heavily lightened to show any colour!)

At the final hide a few birdies were a bit closer, Cormorants

And a Tufted Duck

The same two Cormorants showing their breeding plumage white patches to all and sundry

Mrs Tufty on a mission

Mrs Gadwall on a cruise by

And Mr looking dapper

One of the Swans was having a bath time splash and stretch

I decided I ought to head home, as poor Mrs PB had been at work all day, and on the way to the car park a Sparrowhawk glided across my path, following a stream through the wood until it was lost to sight... fully about 2 seconds lol. Further on a Great Tit

Despite being en route to the car I saw a sign that said "Lakeside Walk", and I thought well its still sunny, why not have a 10 minute detour and see what it's like... it turned out to be one of my better decisions!

Poser Robin

Another Firecrest!

And finally, standing proud... Song Thrush

And so ended a rather splendid tramp around Blashford in glorious sunshine!

I hope enjoyed, and didn't get the level of blue sky envy that I do lol

Thanks for reading

Stay Safe All