A terrible day with a bright sunrise and sunset but nothing in between.
Had to be back home for 0900 hrs this morning for another hospital appointment for Lynda so it was a once round Ogden in the near dark after stopping on Soil Hill to take the sunrise.
As expected, in the conditions, the only wildlife seen at Ogden was the Mallards which are sticking at low numbers so far for winter. The woodland fringes were still in the near dark and deserted of bird life other than one or two noisy robins.
A pm visit to Soil Hill at 1500hrs found it unworkable due to the near gale force W>6-7 and lashing rain so it was a quick check of the summits and mounds finding only 2 Skylarks and 4 Meadow Pipits then off to Shelf Moor trailer park where the wind was lower, W>5, but still the heavy rain.
The Lapwing flock was in Tracys field all heads to the wind so easy to count showing the lowered number of 207 along with around 100 Starling.
A wade down the flooded footpath found Snipe flying in every direction with at one point 48 counted and probably several more still on the deck in the marsh field. Several of the birds flew waist height past me before dropping down into the reeds.
Very hard to get any shots with rain lashing into the lens and the light rapidly disappearing.
BS