A COUPLE OF LOCAL TRIPS.

On Friday morning with the weather fine I thought I'd better get out there with the camera specially as the weekend forecast was not good.

As I did well on my last visit I went first to Marsh Lane getting there at 9.30 AM to find it very bright but very cold with ice on the pathways.Spent a couple of hours there and had a pleasant time especially meeting up with Kat Everitt for the first time in a while as it's great to find out what a top photographer has been up to.

On the birding front I struggled a bit to find much to point the camera at.The energetic Oystercatcher was at it again on the CP pool.Reminds me a lot of what I was like when young although my memory may be playing tricks on me.

It was very nice to spot my first Ringed Plover of the year on the RW pool.Too distant for a decent shots but very nice to see. 

After a quick bite of lunch at home I then went to Brueton Park.Along the back path I soon spotted a Treecreeper on a nearby tree.Spent the next few minutes moving around trying to get some shots but the gloom and twigs got in the way as usual with these chaps.It wasn't till it flew off that I realised I'd been walking around in mud and my shoes were a right mess.What a burk ! ! Got some shots though.

I then walked to the end of the lake to see if any Goosanders were present.Found a pair asleep under the overhanging trees so I left them and headed through the cafe to the area at the back to try the Goldcrest I'd got glimpses of on my last visit.The good news was I found one straight away but the bad news it wasn't long before a group of mothers with very young children picked this very spot to play in.My little friend flew off but I did manage some shots.

After this catastrophe I headed back to main lake to see if the Goosanders has woken up.They had so I rattled off some shots of these cracking ducks but yet again I struggled to get any decent shots of the male and I've run out of excuses because the Goosanders came pretty close and it was bright.I cannot get the male's head colour showing well without blowing out the whites.Do OK with the females though.