I've been jabbed

Firstly apologies for the lack of photos etc 

The weather hasn't been that great and my camera has not been out. The forecast is good for the next few days so I will wander out and trying find SOMETHING to take a picture of! Everywhere is so wet that many of my routes are still closed. 

The redwings have all disappeared as the weather has got milder. 

Anyway Wednesday was vaccination day. I went for a walk before hand and was rewarded with my first Goldcrest of the year, this was very close to home as well! 

I was a bit nervous, I know that is silly but the odd person kept saying they knew someone who knew someone who had been very ill. Anyway I arrived and it was all done very smoothly. My hands were sprayed and I joined the queue. The sign said that the vaccine was the Pfizer one. I was soon in the room asked a few questions and then had a needle in my arm. I had to wait the obligatory 15 minutes and all done. 

Side affects? Well my arm hurt a bit. It is easing off it will be nice to sleep on that arm :) Other than all good. The 2nd one is in May roll on.

Let us hope this is the start of the road to normality. Although  normality will be different in the future. Many of us have got used to paying extra to have food delivered and a number of friends have said they will continue with this. I use Tesco and they have taken on lots of drivers who hope it will continue :)

What will normality be for holidays? Many will jump on a plane as soon as they can and some may never. I will probably take the cautious route. I have a deposit on hold in Guernsey so I think my first trip will be there but next year.

Anyway today with no sun I wandered to Netteswell pond in hope, rather than expectation, of something different bird wise! Alas no. It was interesting to see the difference in plumages of the Black Headed Gulls and to see a few Commons. I was pleased to see a Herring Gull during my walk,

My local pond is being drained. It will be cleaned and the edges lined with bricks. 

Note 2 Mallards are still on the water remaining! 

It will be refilled! And I hope the duck house replaced! It is on the grass at the moment.

They're back

I hadn't intended to post today but thought I'd test the blogger app to see if it was working.

It was much warmer this morning and when I got to the first pond although still icy there was melting and ducks but I couldn't see 3 sticking together. I walked around the corner to their regular haunt and....

The app will still only select one picture at a time it seems 🙄 

Well I didn't expect that!

When I started this local birdwatching walk lark I had no great expectations. As time went on and I found more places to walk I got a bit more optimistic and thought well I might see this or I might see that. I had hopes a Tufted Duck might turn up on a local pond or a Greylag goose and so far they haven't but I have seen birds I never expected to see.

The local ponds (5 of them, I haven't been to Netteswell and New Hall recently) are all frozen. I could walk out over the common as it is frozen but the long way is reliable for common birds.

The Starling is a lovely looking bird! 

So I am walking along the common road by some long grass and I step off to allow a car to pass and up out of the grass flies a bird.... bins up SNIPE! You could have knocked me down with a feather that was not one I ever expected.  I live in hope of a Siskin or Redpoll but a Snipe? It flew to the reed around the common pond.

A bit further some birds flew into some trees/bushes and one was a female Bullfinch. Pretty sure there was a male amongst them as I caught some pink as they flew.

These are in one of the fields

I reached a certain point which is more exposed and the wind was blowing right in my face so I thought blow this and headed back.

Lots of Redwings about today. 

Another good walk! 

Its cold out side!

Well the good news is I have an appointment for the covid jab. 

On Tuesday the ponds were starting to freeze over

This is the one nearest home

This is about 100 yards further on. There are two here divided by a footpath (this is the larger of the two). 

I've mentioned before that by the smaller one is a large puddle that always has 3 mallards (2 male, 1 female). The puddle had frozen and the 3 had moved to the smaller 

Come Wednesday those ponds had frozen. However the closest pond still had some space and look who was there. Yup 3 males and a female. 

Alas this pond has frozen over so the ducks have gone. I wonder if they will come back? 

This is the common pond.

On my walk today I was thinking to myself that I was seeing way more Fieldfares than Redwings I was almost home and then....

Birds added to walk list. Great Spotted Woodpecker and Lesser Black Backed Gull. Surprised taken so long to see the later.

Well lets hope the vaccine goes well.

Living in a winter wonderland

The promised snow didn't really arrive Sunday. I had a relatively short walk and went to Netteswell Pond. 

I think these daffodils are wondering what on earth has hit them! 

Alas the pond had nothing unusua.

I woke this morning to find it had snowed and was freezing cold 

I didn't fancy the 6 mile country walk and stayed local. Walking along untreated roads was not my idea of fun. Still the snow looks much better now I don't have to drive in it!!

This pony has a coat the rest don't :( 

The view from the M11 bridge

The wood was passable in places as the snow and ice made the bog manageable :)

Ok its very pretty now please go :)