Its getting difficult out there now! The afternoons are so short at this time of year, there is barely time to get over to the lakes and back before dusk sets in!

15:00hrs and dusk is nigh  :-(

My visit to the lakes didn't turn up a nice new Duck species, only 3 pairs of MALLARD and a few MOORHEN were about, GOLDRESTS continue to be around in good numbers, a pair were seen around the lakes edge, and as I fruitlessly searched for a Treecreeper in the Wet woods earlier 5 more were seen.

Flyover LESSER REDPOLL and SISKIN were heard as I scoured the vegetation at the Tree Nursery, hoping for a Snipe or Woodcock to fly up, or maybe a Barn Owl if I was extremely lucky, but nothing of that ilk was found - maybe if it turns colder I may have a chance of those species. In the end I had to make do with the GREEN WOODPECKERS, WRENS, DUNNOCKS, ROBINS, SONGTHUSHES and BLACKBIRDS, even a Pheasant would have cheered me at this point, not found one yet this month  :-)

My luck changed however, whilst I was back home filling the feeders in the dwindling light, I spotted a movement on one of the many apples that I have staked out to attract the invasion of Waxwings to my garden  :-)  This bird was not a Waxwing though, it was a BLACKCAP (51), a female bird, what a good Summer species to get on the December list  :-)  The last record of Blackcap here was on October 14th, no doubt todays bird was a Blackcap from the continent, not one of our Summer birds. I always put my camera in the shed when I'm filling the feeders, even when its nearly dark, just in case something turns up, I only had to wait a few minutes and the Blackcap returned, I got my photo, but on such a high ISO the images were a bit grainy and soft, the one below is the best of a bad lot - I'll take it though  :-)

Female Blackcap

The rain arrived back with us this morning, but it cleared just in time for a 90 minute patch visit this afternoon. I did the regular walk over to the lakes, Via the Small Holding and Wet Woods, the former was relatively busy, with both GREEN and GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKERS being seen, as well as BLUE, GREAT and COAL TIT, a couple of REDWINGS were also seen.

In the Wet Woods the most abundant bird was the GOLDCREST, at least five were found, much scanning of them couldn't turn one into a Firecrest though!  Four MALLARDS splashed down on one of the pools whilst I was there, while overhead, above the tree tops LESSER REDPOLL and SISKIN were heard going over. I spent a small while trying to track down the first Treecreeper for months list, but wasn't successful so moved on to the Lakes.

Nothing at all was on the Water, but sitting in one of the bankside trees was a CORMORANT, better still a GREY HERON (48) was fishing in the shallows, and a bit better than that, a KINGFISHER (49) was seen in the vegetation on the opposite bank, two new birds for December  :-) 

With the sun already sinking fast and the light fading, I made my way over to the Tree Nursery, on the way I looked up into the sky to see the 50th December species - a COMMON BUZZARD (50) an apt species to reach fifty with I think  :-)  The Tree Nursery held no surprises for me today, the regular MEADOW PIPITS, Green Woodpeckers, SONGTHRUSH, BLACKBIRDS, WRENS, DUNNOCKS and ROBINS were in good supply, as were the HERRING and BLACK HEADED GULLS that went over, JAYS and MAGPIES chased about, and the two KESTRELS hunted over the grassland, and that was about it for the day  :-)

I left the Camera indoors today, but here's a couple of Garden Bird images from yesterday.

Great Spotted Woodpecker

JACKDAW