Trying Hard

Over the past few days I have been trying hard to get out but the weather and circumstances have conspired against me. In fact I'll go further and say that the flipping weather forecast has been conspiring against me! Take Christmas Day for example. I always like to get out on Christmas Day and enter '25th December' in my note book as it reassures me that I don't get caught up in all this Christmas bollocks. The forecast the night before said 'freezing fog'. Freezing fog! I've been her before. I checked a few other forecasts and they all said the same. I didn't bother getting up early on Christmas morning and it was clear skies with glorious sunshine! This inaccurate forecast made me think that maybe it was the government telling the weathermen to forecast fog and that way no one would go out in their cars on Christmas Day! Anyway, away from conspiracy theories and back to birds.

On Boxing Day (yesterday) I went to Rawcliffe Moss fairly early to put a couple of buckets of seed out at the feeding station. I decided to take the 'Out Rawcliffe' road and wished I hadn't bothered as it was literally a sheet of ice nicely lubricated by a thin film of rain. Lovely!

Buckets of seed loaded in the boot I slide my way down to the track. On my way down the track I had stonking views of a Stoat crossing the track in front of me, and again when I parked up it crossed back. Nice. Funnily enough during this snowy weather I have had quite a few Stoat sightings on and around the moss.

As soon as I got out of the car the heavens opened and it didn't let up all the time I was there. That scuppered my plans for a walk round! The weather conspiring against me again! The first birds I had in the rain were two Buzzards that came across from the 'Tree Sparrow' wood towards Curlew Wood. They gave me stunning views, before disappearing to the north.

Not 'Common' Buzzard, but Rough-legged Buzzard
(Hawk) from Canada. Thanks Nigel.

As is usual at the moment ten Yellowhammers were hanging around the Pheasant feeder and a single Corn Bunting was perched up on the telegraph wires. As I walked down the track towards the feeding station I pushed six Grey Partridges from the hedge bottom. It was pleasing to note that the numbers of Tree Sparrows had increased again, I like to think this is as a result of my perseverance of clearing and feeding during the snow, to at least 130 birds with an associated flock of fifteen Chaffinch.

I tried to get out birding again this morning to Rossall Point. The forecast said it would be clear with a moderate southerly wind. They did say that it would rain later but when I got up at 07:30 it was lashing it down. I suppose they got the weather right but the timing all wrong. Oh well, I'll just have to try again tomorrow.