More Local Flooding

Koi and I attempted to visit Whitemoor Haye today. Need Little Owl for a year tick and Whitemoor has been my banker venue for the last two years. Set out from home at 7.30 and at 7.40 I was heading back towards Tamworth. My Whitemoor Haye visit being postponed. Bloody floods! The road near Catton Park was well  submerged and i just wasn't risking a big repair bill. So, back to Tamworth and some more local birding.

We met up with John at Shuttington and left the cars in Laundry Lane. We walked up the lane and around the fields. To be honest, it didn't look good for a year tick. There were plenty of thrushes about, but they didn't allow a close approach for good pictures. Took this one through my scope, again holding the iPhone to the eyepiece.

Fieldfare and Redwings

The ground was sodden, but at least the fast thaw and rain overnight had cleared the snow. Hence the floods. The local rivers were rising fast and already in flood so yet again much of the locality was going to be underwater again.

John left us and Koi and I headed for the bridal path. I know a good area for Siskin and hoped there may be some about. No such luck! We decided to stop and have a coffee. Flask out, coffee poured and we started scanning the adjacent trees and woodland.

Koi spotted a tit he wasn't sure of. He pointed it out to me. I eventually got some good views of it and, a year tick in the form of a Willow Tit. In the next ten minutes, two more year ticks with Treecreeper and Nuthatch putting in an appearance. It had turned into a rather eventful morning. Three year ticks a good walk and a good laugh.

Its a great way to start a Sunday.

It was then home, a quick tidy up and out with the family for lunch.

A nice pub lunch along with a decent pint and all my family. Its what Sundays were made for.