Always hopeful...

I set out at 9.30 after completing a few chores, the wind was reasonably strong and it was just drizzling a little, I decided to head into the woods to find a few sheltered spots and check out the tit flocks, a couple of Greenfinches were calling near the car park and the House Sparrows were particularly noisy. As I stopped by the vegetable garden around 150 Woodpigeons took to the air over a nearby wood but I couldn't find any raptors in among the swirling pigeons. Once in the wood the first small flock of birds was located a couple each of very confiding Nuthatches and Treecreepers would have given good photo oppertunities but with photography a particular weak point of mine the chance went begging!! (must be quicker and read the manual!) a Marsh Tit was also here, the first of 5 to be seen this morning. Then next little flock again contained Marsh Tit and a couple of Goldcrests. I continued finding smallish flocks one of which included a Coal Tit, not always easy here, I was hoping for maybe a Lesser Spot to be mingling in, it wasn't to be but a bonus did appear in the form of a WOODCOCK (66) flushed from near the path. I headed to Bull and Birches the small wood on the left as you approach the castle, here I heard the Firecrest and added COLLARED DOVE (67) before coming across a flock of at least 10 Long Tailed Tits with more Treecreepers, Nuthatches and Marsh Tit.

This small pond is the least disturbed on the grounds and always worth a look!

Still practicising my photography and Great Tits add a bit of colour.

My final act was the usual, taking in the view, immediately a Buzzard appeared in the bins as I started to scan this was followed closely by a second, they headed off in different directions, it turned out to be a busy 5 minutes around 300 Black Headed Gulls flew south with a handful of Common, a Sparrowhawk battled against the wind following the stream  and a Peregrine, different from last weeks bird as this was a smaller male, flew strongly south!! It was a surprising walk all in all, despite always being optimistic, I didn't really think there was going to be quite as much activity as there turned out to be.