A Quiet Patch

A bit of colour.:-)

11^th Jan. Having returned quickly to laid back mode I was on patch today, taking the wagon-way route to Holystone and back. I reckon that I’ve walked a good few miles already this year.

It was generally very quiet. The peace was broken by some guy who had been happy to allow his dog to run free across the farmland. His whistling could be heard all along the wagon-way, although perhaps not by the dog, which took no notice what so ever. I think the dog was firmly in control. I saw little until I got onto the tracks to Holystone then found a flock of thirty plus very flighty Yellowhammer in the hedge and in the stubble field. I’ve never seen this many on patch before. Behind them I could see what I thought were Fieldfares, but I couldn’t see them very well. On the return I had a much better sighting of the Fieldfares working their way through the stubble field. I reckon forty plus, with another twenty or so flying over the more distant fields. The closer birds looked very attractive as the sun lit them. The Kestrel was hunting in its usual territory.

I had gone out in the hopes of finding Lapwings today, but instead found six Golden Plover feeding in the ploughed field. A new year tick for me. Taking a detour down past the ‘big wheel,’ I found some of the path still iced over, although in most other areas the paths have thawed out as had the small flashes.