Only birds this morning.

This morning I Returned To were the fox had been feeding and was in a really good position to photograph the fox if it returned, but it was a no show. Nearby pheasants began to squawk and take flight, I missed one great photo opportunity as a pheasant flew straight at my head in the dark (I ducked) probably better to miss one photo than be hit by a bird.

As the day began to lighten up several flocks of geese passed by. A flock of plover (I think) took flight from the centre of the field.

The area were the fox had been hunting was riddled with rodent size holes, I'll go there again to watch the holes.

On my way home I saw a bird of prey it seems to be a permanent resident in my patch now but I've only been able to see it from a distance.

Also saw some curlew feeding in a field.

A very cold morning but It's always nice to be out and about.

Garden birds

Today my garden population expand yet again I mentioned in a earlier blog that starlings had arrived in my garden today there was three of them feeding on fat balls and peanuts.  Also a woodpecker arrived in my tree he did not stay in the tree long or take any food but flew to a nearby garden tree I think a woodpecker is one of the more exotic birds to get in the garden.

Aso added suet and meal worm pellets and black sunflower seed and sunflower hearts to add variety to the food. 

Holywell Nature Reserve.

After my visit to Seghill nature reserve I continued my walk. On route twomallardge flocks of geese flew by.

Holywell nature reserve is not very well signposted there is no sign on the main road to tell you to turn in (approaching from the Avenue road) if you had a car there's no where to park, best approach would be from Holywell village that would include using the bus.

There's a public hide a wildlife trust hide and two feeding stations it is a large lake unfortunately for me there was not much to see from the public hide. I did better at the feeding station where I saw a pheasant. 

I had a chat with two volunteers who were trimming some trees and they said there had been large flocks of pink legged geese in the fields I had walked by I guess they must have been the geese I had seen flying by earlier.

The volunteers invited me into the wildlife trust hide were I saw a skaup, Gadwell, mallard, teal, widgeon and a Reed Bunting the Bunting  photos were really good so it was probably that photo that made the trip worthwhile.  I will go back again and to the Seghill reserve to see if I can see more because the Holywell reserve is supposed to have a large variety of wildlife.

I only got to see so much due to the kind invitation of the volunteers as everything was around the corner of the hide. There was not a 

Group for this reserve on flikr so I created one feel free to post your photos.