A New Year Is Come Among Us

 A happy new year to everyone and I really hope we'll see some level of normality get back into our lives by the end of this year. It certainly won't be soon if the number of new cases is anything to go by.

Meanwhile, I continue to enjoy life as much as possible by walking every day around my local patch of Hornsea Mere, beach and cliffs. I go out as early as possible so I avoid meeting strangers as much as I can, and I give a wide berth to those I do encounter. Better safe than sorry has been my mantra for the last 21 months and has served me well up to press.

It was raining as I stepped out today but it stopped soon enough and the sun came out! Lovely morning light bathed everything - including a pair of Greenfinch that didn't look at all green.

Roe deer are the most numerous large mammal hereabouts and I soon came across a fine specimen:

Roe Deer doe

We've had precious few Redwing and Fieldfare locally until the past week or so, when a good sized flock of Redwing of about 60 birds moved in. I saw about 40 of them this morning in the trees and hedgerows south of the Mere:

Several Redwing

two Redwing

A Redwing

While I was watching the Redwing I saw a raptor fly through the field and land over the hedgerow in a tree. I went to see if I could see it well enough for a photo, and eventually I got a decent angle after slinking around in the bushes:

Common Buzzard, obscurred by a branch

Common Buzzard, still obscurred by a branch

Common Buzzard

Common Buzzard

The flock of finches in the set-aside field was somewhat smaller this morning as I checked it for Brambling (still one of my favourite winter birds) with just 20 or so Linnet, a few Reed Bunting and a couple of Tree Sparrows:

Tree Sparrow in the mid-morning light

I watched a cream crown Marsh Harrier drift over the Mere going west, until it disappeared behind the trees. Then a Sparrowhawk took the same route 10 minutes later. A Kestrel hovered over Heslop's for a minute or so then slowly moved off east. I missed a reported Peregrine hunting over the Mere - but I was happy with a raptor count of 4 for the morning.

 

A 3 hour wander through delightfully quiet fields and lanes (until I got to Hull Road of course) set me up for what the day may have in store for me. 

 

I'm just grateful I live somewhere that is quiet and has a decent level of wildlife, despite the best attempts of developers and idiots who don't care a fig for nature or the environment.