Grouse About Tits.

Awful weather so headed south to get some year ticks from the car. A few Red Grouse were hunkered down by the road side from Edmundbyers onwards. The rain was lashing down when I got to Langdon Beck, but 11 male Black Grouse were easy to get as they fed in the open fairly close to the road.

Black Grouse

 

Grousing over, time for some tits.

 

The feeding station at Low Barnes was fully stocked, but held only one Dunnock, so I headed into the reserve. After a hundred yards I picked up a small tit flock and 4 Marsh Tits were calling away. The main lake was quiet with just a few Mallard and Tufted Duck.

 

Far Pasture gave a Willow Tit with 3 Nuthatch and a bonus fly-over  Goosander.

 

10+ Brambling showed within a couple of minutes of getting out of the car at Greenside,

 

Sled Lane had 17 Wigeon and Shibdon 22 Snipe and 1 Dunlin.

 

Snipe

 

Prestwick Carr was very quiet with the big flocks of Fieldfare having gone. A Reed Bunting was new for the year.