After a cold overnight frost, it was a dull, cloudy and overcast morning when I returned home from our early morning dog walk. After breakfast, the sun was beginning to break through the cloud so I decided to have a morning photographing at RSPB Fairburn Ings, especially after my initial visit last Thursday.

It was about 10.30am  by the time I arrived at the reserve and parked up. I headed into the visitors centre for a coffee before I made my way round to the ‘Pick up Hide’. The ground was frozen, as were the ponds and small pools, frost was still hanging about on the tree branches were the sun still had to reach as  well as the long grass on the edge of the adjoining fields.

Other than a pair of passing bird watchers there was nobody else in the hide, so I set up my tripod clamp on the shelf overlooking the bird feeders. It looked relatively quiet bird wise, probably because the bird feeders hadn’t yet been filled up. A lone Moorhen was busily scratting under one of the feeders in the hope of finding some food. There was several Robins popping in and out but they didn’t stop long either. I soon noticed that since my last photo visit the hide apertures had been modified and made smaller (height wise), which was somewhat frustrating for someone with a long lens, as the range of up and down movement becomes very limited and restricting especially when you have the camera clamped to the shelf. I use a Canon 500mm lens which is a very good lens but it is heavy and hand holding it after a few moments becomes quite unstable, hence the tripod clamp. On my next visit I will have to bring a smaller lighter lens and leave the tripod at home. I think this is certainly a bit of short sightedness by whoever modified the hide windows!

The water on the lake in front of the hide was still frozen so there was no activity on the water, although, considering the bird feeders were empty, there was plenty of small finches and Robins which kept popping in for a fleeting visit. As well as the Robins, Great and Blue Tits were regular visitors as was several Goldfinch and a small flock of Long Tailed Tits. A Female Bullfinch was keeping a low profile in the dense bramble bushes next to the Sand Martin Wall.

After about an hour of constantly readjusting the height of my tripod clamp, I decided to call it a day, there was a bitterly cold westerly wind blowing in my face and although I was wearing gloves my finger ends were getting cold, so after dismantling the camera gear I headed back to the car, somewhat frustrated that the hide apertures had restricted the use of the long lens. Although it was good to be out and about in the fresh air.