Pennington Flash

The weather has not been particularly kind at the weekends, and it's looking the same again this. Dark skies, rain and wind. Not a great prospect when you work all week and just want a bit of sunshine, or light cloud. So last weekend I headed to an old haunt of mine, Pennington Flash, to sit in the hides out of the rain and see what turned up. If I'm honest, I was really looking for the Willow Tit that can be found here. Not an easy bird to find and on a sharp decline across the country, but usually quite reliable at this site.

I sat for nearly an hour and a half just observing the comings and goings. There were plenty of species and a nice fly through of a Sparrowhawk. An enjoyable time on what was then a very miserable day. Hurry up Spring.

Blue Tit

Long-tailed Tit

Nuthatch

Reed Bunting

Robin

It turned up eventually. The Willow Tit.

The Cold Snap Continues

 We seem to be stuck in this constant cold spell at the moment. I don't mind too much if it is cold and frosty, but cold and wet just won't do. Pre the latest lockdown I went out when there was still a little snow on the ground, but the skies were battleship grey. Not ideal for photography, but that's never stopped the need for a bird to feed. So off I went.

There was plenty of activity as usual, with good numbers of our more common species, but a lot of the others seemed to stay at a distance and the light didn't help me with them. I got myself tucked into a bush and they came quite close without even noticing me.

Blue Tit

Great Tit

A bit gloomy for this Nuthatch, but I always enjoy seeing them.

I was quite annoyed at the electricity cables that ran along the background of this Grey Heron, but I liked the light underneath the bird from the snow, so I thought I'd share it anyway.

A Lovely Winters Day

Just after Christmas we had a nice amount of snowfall. By nice, I mean not enough to keep you indoors for days or the roads clogged up. It was just enough to enjoy a nice morning walk before it started to melt. So I was out early to see what birds it would bring out to play. I headed to Lapwing Lane pool, which has a really nice perimeter walk and a good variety of habitat, and then just down the road to Redesemere lake. First thing I noticed was how nicely the snow reflects light onto the underside of birds in flight. Buzzards and Geese looked very good in particular. 

Where the snow didn't reach, the frost took hold.

There was a lot of activity, as is always the case on a cold day. The birds seem to take more risks to find food. They will stay around longer as you walk by them rather than dash off at the first sign of a human form. This makes photographing them a little easier when utilised with fieldcraft.

Blue Tit

A Dunnock trying to find a patch where there is no snow.

Greylag geese were particularly busy on this morning, but looked fantastic with the snow reflecting.

The Kingfishers perch was well protected from the snow, and again, she was very active.

A Robin in snowy wintery conditions. One of those moments that looks like a classic Christmas Card.

Etherow Park Marsh Tit

I popped along to Etherow Park in Marple at the weekend, and I was on the look out for a Marsh Tit. A very unusual bird for Stockport and the Manchester area in general. I had seen one the previous week in Norfolk, but quite fancied ticking this closer to home, and it was handily spending a lot of its time around a feeding station and hide. This meant that I could sit for a couple of hours and just enjoy what nature brought to me.
It seemed that it was bringing every other Tit species apart from the Marsh variety. It was cold with the odd downpour thrown in, but it meant the birds were quite active and gave me plenty of opportunity to photograph them at relatively close quarters. All of them had wonderful plumage and they looked in good shape and set for Spring.

The Marsh Tit don't show while I was there, but here is the bird I photographed last week at Sculthorpe Moor.

One of the many Blue Tits that was busy at the feeding station.

The Coal Tit. I was very grateful of the hide to be able to photograph this bird. They're so fast, but this guy was very comfortable, and I was even able to photograph it eating. A first for me, as they normally bolt off to the safety of a tree to eat.

Eating a sunflower heart from between it's tiny feet.

A very handsome and shiny looking Great Tit.

Pennington Flash

A quick trip to Pennington Flash brought me nice and close to some of our regular birds. Often overlooked in the field when looking for something a little more exotic, or something new for the year list, these more common birds reminded me that they still hold a lot of natural beauty. You just have to give them the time to realise it.
The Blue Tit is possibly my favourite garden bird, and it is always good to see. More often than not it is a fleeting glimpse as it forages through bushes and trees or sits at a feeder. The beauty of having binoculars or a camera is that you get to see everything a lot closer up. Feather patterns, colours and detail are really highlighted. 

Blue Tit

Nuthatch doing what a Nuthatch does best.

Willow Tit do very well in this part of the North West.

Greenfinch

Out on the flash itself, among many waterfowl and waders was this pristine Grey Heron. In fact I counted seven on the spit from Horrocks hide. Once again, it was nice to be able to observe it for some time and appreciate it's majesty.

Bring on the Winter Weather

A look back to some colder winter mornings, well more of a look forward to what is to come. Some of the better birding mornings are spent when there is a cold frost on the ground. The birds are forced out to feed and take more risks, which allows more opportunities to get shots of them. So as much as I am not looking forward to the cold wet windy weather, I am looking forward to some cold blue sky days, when I can sit in five layers of clothes in a hide and take myself away.

Blue Tit

Chaffinch

Willow Tit

A nice pair

Something a little more common, in the form of a Blue Tit and a Great Tit. These were taken on a cold frosty afternoon at Pennington Flash. There's always a lot of activity at the feeding hides and on this particular day there were many Blue, Great and Long-tailed Tits, plus a few Willow Tits.
A couple duly obliged to perch on the nearest posts from the hide.

Blue Tit

Great Tit

Pennington Flash

A cold bright and frosty Saturday morning was a welcome relief after what has seemed like weeks and weeks of dark and wet ones. I headed off to Pennington Flash, for just a couple of hours. It never disappoints and is always a safe bet for something to see, no matter how common. Plus, it's just a wonderful place to spend some time away from the hustle and bustle and mundaneness of everyday life.
Lots was seen, both out on the water and along the many paths. Cold weather always brings the birds out to forage for food a little less carefully than normal. There were plenty of finches, Robins, Blackbirds and Tits. Plenty to brighten up anybody's day.

Blue Tit

Great Tit