After a week of bitterly cold mornings where the temperature has dropped to just below 0C on three occasions this last week, this morning came as quite a shock with the temperature gauge showing 8C on the morning dog walk. With such a ‘mild’ morning I banished my winter jacket into the cloak room and ended up wearing my summer waistcoat!

It has been nice to hear the Tawny Owls every day this last week on my morning walks, I have heard them calling usually between 6.50am and 7.00am in the vicinity of Tap Hill and the old farm shop. It is still quite dark though at 7.00am which makes seeing them quite difficult and I try not to startle them with my head torch.

We had a good long walk and headed home around 8.30am for breakfast.

It was looking a little gloomy weather wise outside, with a grey sky but that aside I decided that after breakfast to head over to the reserve at Fairburn for the remainder of the morning.

It was 9.30am when I arrived in the visitor’s car park at the reserve, much later than I like but it didn’t really matter. My cars temperature gauge was still reading 8C but the wind had strengthen slightly and blowing from the North West, no rain was forecast today so hopefully it should stay dry for my visit . I called in to the centre for a coffee on my arrival and had a chat with the wardens before venturing out along the ‘Discovery Trail’ to the ‘Pick up Hide’. I was pleased that I had changed into my winter gear before leaving home this morning because the Northerly wind was blowing quite strong and fresh into the hide.

The lake in front of the hide was still partially frozen with just a small channel of water flowing through the middle of the ice. There was no activity on the water during my time at the hide. Closer to the hide though and around the feeders it was quite busy with bird activity. A pair of Cock Pheasants where busily scavenging for food around the area with three Hen Pheasants. Three Grey Squirrels were suspended upside down on separate feeders helping themselves to sunflower seeds. Overhead a noisy cackling pair of Greylag Geese flew over the hide in the direction of the ‘Lin dyke hide’ on the far side of the reserve. In the field to the right of the hide was a herd of at least twenty four Highland Cattle and one foal, contently grazing on the long grass, they looked really big and broad beasts.

Once the Grey Squirrels had had their feed and disappeared into the undergrowth a pair of Robins flew onto the feeders closely followed by four Chaffinches, they stayed close by for the rest of the morning. It was good to see the Goldfinches too, they were regular visitors as where the Greenfinches and Great Tits. A pair of Jackdaws flew in at one stage but due to their size couldn’t get close to the feeders, they did hang about for a while though, loitering quite menacingly in the bushes. Willow Tits and Coal Tits were quite frequent visitors this morning, preferring to feed on the fence post as opposed to the feeders, I struggled to get a nice picture of the Willow Tits as they fly straight onto the post, pick up some seed and with the seed still in its beak fly off to the security of the undergrowth to eat it. Another visitor to the fence post were the Reed Bunting, both male and their lighter coloured females, they are quite content hang around and eat on the post. Not long after the Willow Tit left the post a Dunnock flew onto it for a snack, contently helping itself to the seed.

A few moments later a big Grey Heron flew over the hide coming from the direction of the Coal Tips to the left of the hide, it seemed to dip its wing as though it was coming into land on the ice but decided against it and continued its flight path over towards the Cormorant tree to the right of the hide.

The wind strength had increased significantly since I arrived and was blowing straight into my face making it quite uncomfortable, fortunately I was well wrapped up in my winter jacket so was well protected from the cold blasts and reasonably comfortable, it was nice to feel a little sunshine though all be it a little later in the morning.  

Just as I was thinking about heading back to the visitors centre a small flock of six Long Tailed Tits flew in and between them waited their turn to feed on the fat ball feeder. I love watching these birds, their flat faces, little black beaks, the pink/purple colours on their side flanks and long tails make them a beautiful delicate bird.

As the time approached 11.30am there were one or two more visitors popping into the hide so I decided to call it a day and head back to the visitors centre for coffee. A lovely morning.