10th January. Other Peoples Birds.

The continuing cold spell meant that almost all the water bodies in the area are just about void of any free water. On the plus side the freeze is keeping the fishermen away, no doubt tucked up watching Sky with a can of Special Brew and taking their frustrations out on the missus, also any open water did seem to contain at least a couple of photogenic Water Rails.

Sunday seemed to be spent looking at other people's birds. After an aborted trip to a snow bound RV we settled on a wander around PHW which on the whole was very quiet and very frozen and with the exception of another Water Rail we saw nothing. A phone call from Roy informed me of a viewable Jack Snipe at Bole Hill Flash. Given that the only 'in the open' Jack Snipe I've ever seen were from the Porthellick hide it really would have been churlish not to go, even if it was someone elses bird.

No snipe were flushed in the making of these photos!

Other peoples birds became a bit of a feature of the afternoon with another text about a roosting Long-eared Owl on Tinsley Golf Course.

The sudden interest in seeing other peoples birds stems from me stupidly taking part in the local bird groups January challenge league where I currently reside very close to the bottom with 84 though I have yet to venture far from the Rother Valley.

As nice as it is to photograph birds in snow, this weather is getting a bit tedious now!