Out for a walk on New Year's Day (Cue song)

The weather hasn't been great over the last few days and today was looking more promising so, we'd planned a trip to Scurdieness and a walk to the lighthouse and maybe even beyond.

12 o'clock arrived and we were just about ready when I realised it's a dull day already, it's 12 o'clock already and it's an hour's drive over there so .....

We went up to the reservoir  my favourite place but, I'd thought it might be busy today.

We drove up and I could see the car park was busy, not what I fancied but, soon realised it was the wild swimmer group  they don't walk up where we would go. 

We got all wrapped up and set off................ freezing! 

Ach, we'll be grand.

We didn't see that many birds though.

It was pretty over cast and dull AND, I'd forgotten the binoculars so we saw several little brown jobs flitting around and until I heard some calls, had no ID's until .....

A male Crossbill high on a pine. It was distant but I was happy. They are the main reason I come up here so often and lately they've always been high and / or distant, there's time yet.

There seems to be a few of them in that tree, much flitting and fluttering going on.

A female at the tip of a nearby pine and in editing, I noticed another lower down.

Once edited and cropped, I could see it may be a young female, there's a fair bit of grey on her but, one thing I have learned about these birds is that the colours can range hugely.

Looking at the next shot, you might see that the lower bird looks yellower so may be an adult female?

They didn't hang around long and flitted off into the gloom, we carried on up the trail and I spotted a dark blob bobbing on the waves near the shore.

A female Goosander, foraging along the shoreline.

We made it to the picnic bench with losing any bits n bobs and sat down for our snacks! I scattered food on the bin lid as I always do, my daughter had not seen the birds here coming in to feed, I'd told her they come to the hand but it was way too cold today.

Sure enough, the Coal Tits, a Great Tit, Dunnock and Robin were soon dropping down to grab a snack but I could hear something else in the trees.

Sure enough, way up in the tallest trees, a few more Crossbills.

I left that shot as it is, if you look closely, there's another bird in the top right corner. It was freezing there, trying to hand hold and focus on birds high in a tree was hard work.

I eventually saw around five birds but, when they flew off, there was actually more like nine or ten.

I detest that bland, blah sky but, it's what I had to work with. I've also finally decided that I need to read up on these birds. I go looking for them all the time and when they co-operate can get some fantastic shots but, I still don't understand their colourings. I know males are rusty red, females yellow but, it looks to me like there's quite a variation of those shades. Younger birds? Winter / Summer?

I also find them quite a steady bird, especially when they're hungry and eating. These seemed to be keeping an eye on us, or was it the small birds below them dashing to the food I'd left out?

Last time I saw them in this spot, one flew down to a bare Willow nearby, as if it was curious to see what was going on.

They have quite a distinctive call too, can hear them over the other birds, I need to learn more about that too.

So a brief, very cold picnic, with the added bonus of a Crossbill audience, love it. Time to hit the road before I lose my bearings it was snowing very slightly by now.

So, on we went, back towards the car and now passing a few more families and dog walkers just heading out, phew!

And then .....

There were a few birds in a low patch of conifers and they flew across our path as we approached, I turned to tell the others, "more Crossbills" and something flashed close by, catching my attention.

One of them landed on the path in front of us and started sipping from the puddle! That shot is totally unedited to show how close it was.

The same shot, tidied up a little. I couldn't believe my luck, just the bad light to deal with.

I've seen other's photos, closeups of them drinking, or feeding young but never been that close in that situation.

I could still hear others behind me but there was no way I was missing this opportunity.

Now, I've already mentioned my knowledge of Crossbills or lack of it but, to me, this is a young male coming into colour if anyone knows better or more, please feel free to let me know

Those of us that have been this close to any bird will know that they are highly aware of your presence but appear to be completely happy about it, until you make the wrong move, or sound.

Ten to fifteen feet away from three adults, standing much taller than it and yet, comfortable having a sip of puddle.

 

We were all quite amazed by this event, Jo has seen them before up here but Sarah had never seen anything like it and neither realised what a big bird they are, relatively speaking of course

And off it went.

Wonderful.

I grabbed a few more shots of the other birds just off the path.

A young male?

Looks like a cute young female, shot through Broom!

And final one, I promise, a young male checking us out.

And that was it! I was a happy chappy, the ladies were freezing, so was I so, I walked fast ahead and got the seats and heaters on ready for them. Jo is using a stick at the moment, she has Plantar Fasciitis, which I thought was just another social media thing!

Anyway, a great new years day walk.