Friday 15th.January 2010

Another grey day , without yesterday's rain , but with a biting wind that made the car thermometer reading of 5C. sound ridiculous . Once again , we were joined at breakfast time by the two Foxes in our garden . What I think is the dog , following every move of the other , never more than a metre away . By the time I got the camera and opened the back bedroom window , I found them on the fence and shed roof two gardens away . She was probably trying to get away from his advances , but he was sticking to his task , until whilst he was sniffing where she had been on the shed roof , she took her chance , and dropped down off the fence into the alley at the rear . But he wasn't going to be outdone , realising what had happened , he was once again on her trail . Later in the morning , I decided to have a look around Keston Ponds , hoping to relocate the Tree Creeper or the Grey Wagtail . I failed on both counts , and with very little of interest around the ponds , I headed for Hayes Farm , hoping for better luck . On the ground , just over the stile , was a good sized flock of Redwing , who , having stripped out all the berries in the neighbourhood , and with the melting of the snow , have started feeding on the ground . On the way , I had stooped again at the church in Hat=yes and the house opposite , and there is not a single berry left on any of the Pyracantha bushes . On the way to the Trout Fishery , several flocks of Redwings and Fieldfares flew over , all looking for an uncovered are of the horse paddocks to feed in . The Paddock alongside the Fishery once again held Rabbits , this large one right out in the middle of the field , an easy meal for a passing Buzzard ? Very little change on the lake , still 90% frozen over , but I only found one Egyptian Goose this time , the one that I thought was the male . One new resident though , this male Gadwall , keeping as far away from the camera as he possibly could . Having not seen them last visit , both Little Grebe put in an appearance this time , and one actually took time off from feeding to pose for a photograph . It didn't last though , as most sightings of the pair were either -
or , more often than not -

The two Mute Swans are still in residence , one of them seen here with some of the Mallards , Coots , Tufted Duck and at the edge of the ice , behind the Swan , both Little Grebe .