29th January. The Best Laid Plans

The best laid plans don't always go to plan and this weekend was no exception. In an attempt to get at least three species on the list I intended to put my day off on Friday to good use with a trip in to the peak. Unfortunately low cloud and general clag meant a change of plan. Instead I opted for a straying off the path visit to Orgreave. After trudging round for an hour or so I was covered in mud with the only reward being Peregrine. By now it had cleared up though it still looked black over Bill's so I made the decision to do the area around Spa Farm, Bole Hill and Blue Man's Bower, thinking that I might uncover some scarce bunting around the Farm. There was no scarce near the farm in fact there were no buntings of any description probably due to the hedge having a pretty severe flailing. In short the whole day was frustrating made even more so by a phone call from Andy informing me that two Golden Plovers were in a field at Leash Fen. With school collection duties to perform there was no way I that I would have made it there and back in time - so I went home and sulked!

Who'd have thought I could go an entire month without even a sniff of one of these

The remainder of the weekend was pretty much the same. I added no more species, walked five miles in a bird less Derwent Valley, got overtaken by Malc after I'd sent him the Barn Owl MP3 that almost certainly lead to my demise (penance for 'tape luring') and had another Peregrine, this time though grabbing a Collared Dove right above the garden which sort of made up for my failings elsewhere!

Back to more relaxed birding from now on with the first spring migrants just over a month away.