Today is the day you make new years resolutions. I don’t you should make any that are difficult to keep, so I am going to make an effort to keep a better track of the birds I see this year and Helen and I have also started an official garden list. What better way to start than to go for a walk with the nockers.
We were ready at the early (for new years day) time of 10am, and decided to head up to the area around Dancersend nature reserve, because there is a lot of game birds around which attract lots of country side birds. When we left the house it started to rain so we went up the hill to have a cup of coffee instead! Luckily for us there were plenty of birds on the bird feeders there including Greater Spotted Woodpecker and Nuthatch.
After coffee we headed out to Wilstone reservoir for a walk to the hide. The weather was miserable and grey, and we had the hide to ourself. Nothing unexpected was present it was great so see Little Egret, Snipe, and Common Gull. One we had endured the cold long enough we headed back to the car in the drizzle then went home for a bite to eat.
It was two o’clock and the year list stood at 33, not a bad start despite the dampened enthusiasm caused by the weather.