Finally! Waxwings and Redpolls on the same day.

After missing out Waxwings at Shefford,2 locations in Sandy,2x at Clifton,and a couple of hours in Potton I finally nailed a group of 20 in Potton. Viewing was hampered by a wire fence but being so close to these as they fed was great. They were feeding on whatever berries they could find and before taking flight finished up on some conifer crop.

I then moved onto the Lodge RSPB for Redpolls which were showing better than normal, and with a few Siskin thrown in the next 3 hours were most pleasing. Mind you I wasn't exactly dressed for the occasion and spent all 3 hours shaking, if Sarah had brought me a cup of tea I think I would off poured it over my feet!

Below is a large selection of the Redpoll flock that came down a few times to drink, amongst the Lessers were some Mealies too. I was in the company of some nice people and one photographer from Northampton, I believe, was with me when at least 30+ landed all at once. We did not know where to aim first, you don't realise how small they are when close up but they were quite flighty and when one got up they tended to all follow. But a great experience and some new Redpoll images to boot.

Thornham and Titchwell. Norfolk. January 2011.

After my last nightshift I picked my dad up and we headed off to Norfolk. I wanted to get some images of the Northern Harrier so we headed off to Thornham first. And as this year was proving already, my luck was not going to change. We saw the Northern Harrier again but I did not get even a glimmer of a chance to get a shot. Mind you there was not much else for me to photograph, lovely weather albeit cold, the highlight was watching a Kestrel hunting voles, two Chinese water deer and feeding a Robin by hand.

Well the New Year is well under way and I'm still awaiting to get out and get some images,the weather and days off are not colliding. I took a trip with Sarah the other day for a hour or so, to look for the waxwings at Shefford, but they were not to be seen so we stopped at Sandy on the way back home and didn't connect with them either ! Not a taste of things to come I hope, but perhaps it is... on going to the farm to top up the feeders, my car became stuck in the mud due to the under sill coming away and wedging me tight in and keep me wheel spinning. So I had to clamber in the mud to eventually free myself.

Yesterday whilst at work I saw my first butterfly of the year, a Red Admiral. Not unusual, I've seen one in January in years previous, but it didn't stay on the wing for long before disappearing into roof space but nice to see after all the harsh weather.