Friday February 24

The storm has past and today the morning was sunny and calm. I headed on foot for Ipsley Alders and spent a very pleasant morning edging my way through its woodland fringe.

Grey Heron

After taking the above shot I took my camera off the auto setting because I felt it made the heron too pale. The bird then flew off, while I forgot to put the auto setting back on. Consequently I found it almost impossible to photograph anything satisfactorily. Strange that.

The woodland contained numerous Goldcrests, Siskins, and Chaffinches, plus at least one male Lesser Redpoll. One of the Goldcrests was ringed, and I noticed all the feeders had gone when I reached the Woodcock field. My suspicions that ringing takes place here was confirmed when I met the reserve warden, Michael Barstow. He said he was part of what they laughingly call the Redditch ringing group. There are three members.

I reported having seen three Roe Deer just before I met him. While we chatted, a Green Woodpecker appeared. Michael had already indicated a certain antipathy towards tick hunters so I tried to play cool, and not to gabble on about having just had a year-tick. I failed therefore to get a shot of it before it flew off.

I also tried not to sound too excited when he casually mentioned that someone had seen some Waxwings in Winyates Central last week. I think he said Winyates Hall, but I have no idea where that is, or whether I heard him correctly. At least it sounds like there are some about.

Eventually we went our separate ways, and I headed home.