January 18/01/24

Around and about Parkside, Cleator, Cumbria

January 18/01/24

Another cold day with frost on the ground, only managed a short walk through the fields but there was some nice wildlife  about.

The pond was nearly frozen over with only a small patch of free water, and this was full with the two Mute Swans that are resident here, all the other water birds had left, looking for none frozen lakes. There was however a very fast Kingfisher which spent a short time looking for a patch of open water before giving up and heading on towards the river a mile away. The hedgerows were busy , with the Fieldfares hunting for the remaining Hawthorn berries, and Tits, Sparrows, Finches and Robins were everywhere.

The Greylag geese are still here in large numbers alternating between the fields and the pond, although the ice has put them off somewhat. While watching the Geese we saw we were being watched by a lone Buzzard, it sat on a Hawthron bush for five minutes before flying off accross the fields.

The highlight however was a Goldcrest that was fliting through the hedgerow, it seemed unbothered by me being there, but was hard to photo as he was fast!

The weather looks set to warm up and become wet so it could be the last time I get out for a while.