A bright start to the day with sunshine and blue sky at -1 degree on a light W>3. By 0945 hrs the fog had rolled in but cleared by midday.
After more snow shoveling and sorting out the bird feeders I was wondering what to do in the afternoon with lock down rules now more clarified making Leeshaw out of my local area as well as Fly Flatts, the latter I,m looking into. Its far safer to travel 15 minutes to a secluded area than to walk around home with every man and his dog out. The snow has made it worse with hoards of people driving up from the low ground to play in the snow. Foxhill Park this afternoon was like Wakes week on Blackpool front.
Midday and a text from DH reporting a Shoveler at nearby Wibsey Park , a bird too good to miss for this area, so 10 minutes later I was dashing across the park towards the boating lake.
The lake was 3/4 frozen over and all the wildfowl and BH gulls packed into a small area of water and there in the middle of them was Dannys Shoveler. A rare species for around my area with a once ,or possibly twice, sightings per year. Well found to Danny and many thanks for the grapevine text.
Also on the lake was the usual Mute Swans, Tufted, Mallard, Coot, Moorhen etc.
All we need now is a rise in temperature and some heavy rain to shift this snow.
Wibsey Park Lake
1 drake Shoveler
+ usual waterfowl.
BS