11 February 2023 - Bradford & Lydgate (Littleborough)

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Waxwings, Little Owls, Rooks

Had a late morning sojourn to Bradford to look for the 4 Waxwings that had been around a few days in the vicinity of the Tesco car park.  When we arrived there was no sign of them at the car park, but they had been seen around gardens in a nearby housing estate just across the main road from Tesco.  After a short search, they suddenly flew in and landed in some trees opposite a garden where a Rowan was laden with yellow berries. For the next hour or so we watched and followed them around as they meandered around the area, mostly perching up in trees or on TV aerials, and occasionally coming down to feed.

It was bitterly cold with a fairly strong breeze, but from time to time they would do little flights as if they were feeding on flying insects.  I'm not sure if they were; it seemed too cold, but that's what it looked like.

Once we'd had our fill we headed back towards Littleborough with the hope of looking for Little Owl and Water Pipit. Our first stop for Little Owl near the Blue Ball was a failure, and we also failed on Water Pipit at Blackstone Edge, although when Simon had seen it recently he said it seemed rather shy, and there were a lot of people around today.  We moved on to Lydgate where Andrew soon picked up a Little Owl perched on a dry stone wall to the right of the road, and another then appeared within a few yards of the first.  On the opposite side of the road, a couple of Rooks fed in the field leading up to the golf course.

Waxwing , 1/640 sec, f/7.1, 500 mm, ISO 160

Waxwings, 1/500 sec, f/7.1, 500 mm, ISO 320 (view full size image)