Long-Tailed Tit

I've seen so many Long-tailed Tits recently. I usually hear their incessant calling first. I then have to struggle to spot them as they move about the trees. When you see one, you know that there are at least half a dozen others with it. They're always busying themselves and generally making it difficult to photograph them. I did get some decent shots of them though.

I'm really happy with these first two. Feeding in one claw and hanging on with the other.

Never seen them feed like this before.

Red Grouse - Peak District

We've had a cold spell recently, and last week brought us our first snow of the winter here in the North West. Always a pain in the neck when travelling to and from work, it also gives an opportunity to see more wildlife. Due to the cold weather the birds are a lot more active as they desperately search for food.
I was hoping that the nice white blanket might also make it easier to spot some birds. I headed up into the Peak District to see what I could find. Red Grouse are a favourite up here and I was hoping that I'd find some posing nicely against the snow. No such luck. In fact, I found it harder to find them than in the summer.
Their calls gave them away and I managed a few distant shots before the cold drove me back to my car.

Nicely camouflaged against the heather.

Curlew Sandpiper - Burton Mere

A look back to the Summer months, when I took a trip to the Wirral and Burton Mere wetlands. A couple of year ticks were added, in the shape of this Curlew Sandpiper with its superbly curved bill, and a Green Sandpiper.

Both birds stayed fairly distant, but thankfully the light was quite decent. Here is the Curlew Sandpiper. 

Showing typical stance.

Green Sandpiper in the background and Curlew Sandpiper in front.

Dipper - Greater Manchester

I've enjoyed watching a pair of Dippers recently on the River Roch in Heywood. They have been in the area for some time, but I've noticed them more regularly in recent months. I'm pretty sure that they bred last year, but didn't spend enough time watching them to confirm.
A week ago I heard one of them in song as it sat atop a large stone in the river. They have a very melodic song but it is quite tricky to hear over the sound of rushing water. Fingers crossed they are gearing up for some breeding, and if they do, I hope to be on hand with the camera.

Most likely to be looking a Cadisfly larvae.

It's not all doom and gloom.

A walk around a local lake recently showed signs of an impending Spring. The Coots were very feisty and chasing rivals away and even sometimes off the lake. The Grey Herons were setting up nest sites and some actually on the nests. Great Crested Grebes were seen to do their courtship displays. All very exciting for me, as it reminds me that these short dark days won't be forever and that Spring will come again and so will the sunshine.

Coot

Great Crested Grebe

Shorelark - Holkham

The beach at Holkham on the north Norfolk coast holds very good numbers of Shorelark (also known as the Horned Lark) at this time of year. I made a special visit to see some, some weeks back and was very pleased with what I found. This was the first time I've seen these birds, and as with every hunt for a life tick, it was a bit stressful and tense trying to find them in a vast area.
They didn't help me by being in amongst some vegetation and generally staying out of sight, but then I clocked them and all was well again.
I spent a good 30 minutes just watching them from a safe distance and taking pictures as and when they popped their heads up. They didn't do anything fancy, like give me a nice flight shot or even emerge from the vegetation, but I still enjoyed them all the same. A great little bird and one I hope to catch up with again soon, now that I know where to find them.

Turnstone - Sheringham

The promenade in Sheringham is a great place to get up close to Turnstones. While I was looking forlornly for a King Eider Duck a few weeks back, I turned my attention to this much easier target. You don't even have to be looking for them and they will wander towards you, all very brave and brash. It doesn't bother me in the slightest and took my mind off the fact I was failing in my initial efforts.

Yes, sometimes getting too close for the lens attached.

Smew - Castleshaw Rervoir

The Smew is not a very common bird in the North West. Only turning up in the winter months and never in great numbers or great regularity. That being said, I saw that one was up in the Oldham hills on Castleshaw Reservoir and it was too good an opportunity to miss.
It had been a few years since I saw my last, in Cheshire.
The bird was quite a distance out, but at it's closest when I arrived. I was able to pop my head and camera over the wall of the upper reservoir and take a few pictures.

The water was choppy on a very windy day, and like all Smews, this one was very wary.

Cattle Egret

A few weeks back I posted some pictures of a Cattle Egret that were a bit distant and not great. I'm able to post some better ones now, after a chance encounter while sat in hide. This one flew in and took up residence on an island. Typically it's on the wrong side, so you can't see it's legs and feet, but it posed nicely and stayed a long time. I'm much happier with these pictures.

Velvet Scoter - Bolton

A Velvet Scoter had been reported on High Rid reservoir in Bolton over a week ago. I was in Norfolk at the time, more than 200 miles away. I wondered if it would hang around for me to catch up with. My first opportunity was on Saturday afternoon, and it was still there.
The weather was really poor and the light even worse, but this visit wasn't really about the quality of pictures. It was a lifetime tick for me, having never seen one before.
On arrival it was on the far side of the reservoir. Typical! I trudged round in the drizzle, and it kindly played ball. It stayed close to the bank and dived for a minute or so at a time. A bird that should really be out at sea, it was nice to be able to see one just a short drive from home.

Could really have done with better light on a very dark day.

Purple Sandpipers - Sheringham

It's that time once again, when the Purple Sandpipers have returned to their wintering grounds in Norfolk. I look forward to putting my head over the wall at Sheringham early in the morning and looking down onto the rocks to find these lovely little birds. I was lucky enough to do this at the weekend whilst visiting my parents.
The sun had barely come up, and the light was poor, but there were 3 of the little beauties all snuggled up on the rocks.

I wandered off to look at some Turnstones and when I came back they were on the move. 

Redesmere

There were quite a few other ducks, geese and gulls at Redesmere last week. Here are just a few of them. Hopefully there may be a few rarer birds as we go into the winter months. It would be even better if there is sunshine like this all the time. Light makes photography so much easier. All that's needed then are the birds.

Great Crested Grebe about to take off

A nice male Tufted Duck

And the female.