Snipe - and Ice, Ice Baby

An afternoon visit to the Lurgies when sneaking up on anything was impossible due the crunching of the frozen grass as I walked over it. No sign of the Great Egret or anything new but at least the light was good for a bit. There were a lot of Snipe around, many were feeding on the waters edge by the path, two were in the open only 25 metres out on the mud, and othes I flushed while walking in the field. 

Ice, Ice Baby

Snipe on the mud  there's less mud since the floods washed it away leaving shingle

Pink-footed Goose, injured, sick or shot we'll never know, it wasn't in a hurry to move away

I counted around 16 Snipe in different places around the Lurgies, the frozen ground must be hindering their feeding and they are moving about to find food

Snipe

Snipe

Lot's of Lapwings today, I suspect many have come from inland to find food. These two were squabbling over a piece of mud and shingle

Teal, I accidentally flushed these when trying to circle around to view some Fieldfares

Only 20-30 Fieldfares today, most of the berries have been eaten

Always a Robin on the path and in the car park

A couple of arty photos, it was getting dark as the sun sunk behind the trees so I over-exposed to compensate and got these Goldeneye

A Little Grebe in a big expanse of still featureless water