Garden Birding & Hanchurch Woods

Well with the snow that our garden list for 2013 would increase some what with maybe a few more unusual birds being attracted in to our feeders from the wood.

Lesley had earlier in the week had a single Redpoll, so I was hoping for at least to see one of these fine looking finches or even a Siskin or two. Well I didn't get to see any Redpoll or Siskin but a stunning male Brambling did pay us a visit, which was in a mixed flock of Chaffinch and Goldfinch. This was a nice year and garden tick for 2013. A Fieldfare also briefly dropped in for a quick bite to eat before heading back into the wood.
Apart from that it was the usual garden cast of Willow, Blue, Coal, Great and Long Tailed Tits, Bullfinch, Nuthatch, Black Bird, Robin, Dunnock, House Sparrow, Collared Dove, Wood Pigeon and Magpie.
A quick walk over to the void was pleasant although nothing great was seen, still not a sniff of any Snipe for me, maybe I am looking in the wrong place? Anyway we did see Meadow Pipit, Pied and Grey Wagtails plus the usual Lesser Black Backed and Blacked Head Gulls on the water which wasn't as frozen as I thought it would have been.

On Sunday I head off to Crewe to try and grab a shot of 56037 and 077 which are due off to the great depot in the sky and to be recycled into washer machines. Well they were to far off for a shot which was a shame and I didn't fancy bunking the depot so that was that. I did see some Redwing and Goldfinch by the depot on a birding front.
At the Basford Hall the fuel tanker was there so that stopped me getting a few shots which was a pity as 66301 was positioned nicely on the Tesco Express.

That afternoon it was a trip out to Hanchurch for a spot of lazy birding from the car which allowed Gem to stay nice and warm within the car. Nothing special dropped in just Dunnock, Robin, Longtailed, Blue, Coal and Great Tit, Chaffinch and Bullfinch plus Nuthatch. A Jay flew over head but that was it for a 40 minute visit.