There was a cold westerly wind this morning as I headed off to the Fairburn Ings reserve. The car temperature gauge was reading 5C but with the cold wind it certainly felt as though it was much colder than that. 

There were only a handful of cars in the car park when I arrived just after 9.30am. It was a lovely morning though and a bright blue sky with what looked like the sun trying to break through the early mist. I popped into the visitors centre for a coffee and a chat with the wardens before heading off to the ‘Pick up’ hide. I looked to have been the first one there this morning, the lake was looking quite dull and grey as the sun hasn’t yet risen above the coal tips mound. On the water were several pairs of Mallard and Coots and a short time later three noisy juvenile Black Headed Gulls. 

Over in the field to the right of the hide the farmer looks to have let his Highland Cattle out, they were all grazing quite happily, the early sunlight picking them out nicely as they made their way across the field, their golden brown and white coats looking quite bright and vibrant in the morning sunlight.

Under the feeding station was a pair of female pheasants a Moorhen and a Coot all busily hoovering up the seed from a Grey Squirrel trying to empty the feeder. 

There were several Dunnock about singing away merrily along with Robin and Greenfinches. A pair of female Reed Buntings where regular visitors too, they have much fainter makings and colourations than the male birds who are much darker. 

I could hear a small flock of Long Tailed Tits in the bushes behind me but it would be another fifteen minutes before they came to the feeders.  

The Willow Tit was also a frequent visitor this morning a lovely sleek looking bird with a nice black forehead, they, like the Long Tailed Tits don’t stay for long though, just get the food and disappear out of sight to eat it before returning for some more. 

Male and female Chaffinch’s were regular visitors, I love the way they hover next to the feeder or fence post before landing.

The highlight of the morning though was a five second glimpse of a stoat/weasel, it literally popped its head out from under the fence in front of me and ran under the hide. I had no time at all to take a photograph and as the Stoat and Weasel are so similar in their markings I didn’t get a long enough view to determine which it was. It was a bit frustrating as my sighting was somewhat limited due to the fact that about five minutes earlier a dozen or so people from a local birding club came into the hide, sat either side of me and stood behind me, which limited my movement quite considerably, although they didn’t see the mammal on the floor were more interested in watching the Willow and Long Tailed Tits. After about ten minutes this group of people moved to another part of the reserve, needless to say that I didn’t see it again during this visit. 

A pair of Goldfinch’s kept coming to the feeder during the morning, they seem to prefer the Niger Seed rather than the fat balls for food and considering they have such messy dirty nests they looked in really good condition.

The westerly breeze through the hide window was quite relentless during the morning and as it was approaching lunchtime I decided to call it a day and return to the comfort and warmth of the visitors centre, have another coffee before the journey home.