Redpoll

Thankfully one Species now which saves one ID headache! A Rare Bird at Duff.

After a stop off at Keyingham on Friday for the lad and to enjoy the Sunrise...

...I arrived at 10 and headed for the Platform, unfortunately the ice was thick and the bridge was dodgy for the old boys, so I waited by it to see what turned up....

Quiet for a good 15 minutes then a few Blue Tits appeared. I then noticed another tiny bird low down in the grasses by the water. It was dark in there and the bird was obscured by vegetation. It then flew off into the adjacent trees? I strongly suspected something "good"? I waited.

Some 20 minutes later the bird returned to the same area, this time giving better views and enabling me to get some photos...

Lucky to grab one of the head in the sun...

This was only my 5th record, so quite a moment. The reward of Patch Birding illustrated once again.

Elated, I headed for the Hide. Stuart Rapson appeared as I grabbed my Scope. Pity he was leaving but he'd been in the deep freeze since Dawn...a brave man. We had a 15 minute chat before he moved on.

I set my stall out after scraping some ice off the windows! Unsurprisingly the Carrs and Bubwith Ings were solid but the River was high and was acting like a narrow lake for the thousands of Wildfowl present. It was a spectacular scene in the Sunshine...

The frozen conditions have some benefits, bringing some secretive Species out into the open...

Snipe. Dancing on Ice!

Others seek food in the Reeds...

A pair of Stonechats graced the Scrape also...

I made till 1 before I bailed out to thaw out!

39 Species