Saturday 15 February 2014

I wasn't going to make a patch visit today,  the torrential overnight rain had moved off, but the gale force wind was still blowing, so I knew little was to be gained by going out, however by 09:00hrs I was getting 'itchy feet' so decided on a quick look at the lakes  :-)

The walk over to the lakes across the Ashes Lane Field proved to be a joke!  The wind was making any forward progress very difficult, and any attempt to get a better grip from the pasture beneath my feet met with futility, as the top two inches of soil were liquified, as for trying to see any birds while combating that little difficulty, well, it was hopeless!

I did get to the lakes in the end, and for my reward I got to see 4 GOOSANDER, 3 of those being female, they were battling the waves on normally flat calm main lake. I checked up on the SWANS and the COOTS, they were still around, but apart from them and the regular MALLARDS and MOORHENS there was nothing else on the water today.

The sun actually shone for most of the day, but as I write, a thundery shower of hail is rattling the windows on the gale, there go the garden Crocus' that only opened yesterday !

Tomorrow looks to be an altogether better day, so hopefully a long patch visit can be undertaken  :-)

I tried to get some pics for the post today from my garden feeders, but although the light was good, the perches were being blown around, making focusing virtually impossible, as you can see by the only image I did get  :-(
GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER, hunkering down from the gale!

5 comments:

Marc Heath said...

Not a bad shot at all, nice lighting.

Pete Woodruff said...

Fingers crossed for tomorrow, but I note the magnet pulled you out today in the gale....can't do anything about the magnet once it gets pulling Warren.

Findlay Wilde said...

I hope you get a better day tomorrow. I did my patch walk in the rain today and all the pictures are grey and washed out. It was great to be out though. From Findlay

Warren Baker said...

Pete,
I can never resist just a quick peek over at the lakes on a winters day :-)

Warren Baker said...

Thanks findlay,
photo's are never quite the same in rainy grey weather.

Better luck tomorrow eh?