Great Northern Diver and Grey Days

 The weather has been grim with thick cloud hiding the sun very successfully - apart from today when it broke through for about half an hour.

 

Yesterday a Great Northern Diver was on the Mere, but despite having a good look around I couldn't locate it. This morning though it appeared over towards KP as seen from first field, swimming west very quickly. I walked round to KP in the hope I'd get a decent view before it disappeared over the horizon.

 

 I found it about 100 yards west of KP in gloomy light as the sun hadn't come out to play yet.

Great Northern Diver in front of a buoy

Great Northern Diver

GND preening

 I went for a walk along the River Hull earlier in the week. I decided to go there rather than down to the Humber as the Easterly wind was very strong, and I thought going a few miles inland the wind would not be as strong. Mistake! The first mile or so was very exposed and it was damn cold up on the path level with the river. I dropped down out of the wind, which was warmer, but I couldn't see any birds - back up the banking then.

 

I had lots of Cormorants and Goldeneye along the length of the river and I could hear Redshank but didn't spot them for long enough. Once found I counted about 50, all along the far river bank. 

Redshanks along the River Hull

Great White Egret and Cormorants

Oystercatcher and Teal on the river

 

The water level is still very high and the path was pretty muddy, but not too bad really given the amount of rain we've had.

River Hull - a line of shrubs where the river bank usually is

As I approached High Esk lake I hoped the path was still OK and not underwater. It looked fine so I set off around the lake footpath.

High Esk lake on the right, River Hull on the left

Lots of Wigeon were on the lake along with a few more Goldeneye, a couple of Great Crested Grebes and a smattering of Tufties.

Wigeon

Great Crested Grebe

About 35 Redshank over the water

 

A few hundred yards round the lake I found that the footpath was underwater, with water flowing from the lake into the river. I couldn't go through as I had walking boots on  - wellies would probably have got me through but I planned on walking about 10 miles so wellies were not an option. 

A watery end to my route

I decided to go back to the car and spend the rest of the morning in Wassand Wood.

 

As a good friend of mine reminded me this week - 

Cheers Nick 🤣🤣

and there are more and more indicators that this is true. Song Thrushes are singing, Great Crested Grebes are displaying, woodpeckers are drumming and plants are bursting through the gloom. 

Hazel catkins

Winter Heliotrope flowering

A beautiful show of Snowdrops at Wassand

I live in hope that the sun is still up there and that we will eventually see it. The forecast could be better but at least it isn't freezing cold or raining (yet).