18 October 2025 - Hollingworth Lake

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Teal, 2 Siskins, Pinkfooted Geese

Another typical October day, rather overcast and dull. Unusually on entering the hide, a couple of Teal were just in the channel opposite. They rarely venture close to the hide, so it's often a challenge getting a decent photo, but this time they were close enough; just the lighting was somewhat limiting, as well as some foliage in the foreground. Anyway, I managed to get some pics of the drake before they became spooked and flew off.

In Pavilion Wood, there was quite a movement of small birds including Long-tailed and other Tits and Goldfinches; among them I managed to identify a couple of Siskins at the very tops of the trees; the photo is hardly my best ever, but you can just about make out what it is.

On the way back home I was on Higher Cleggswood when I heard the unmistakeable sound of Pinkfeet overhead. Looking up, a large skein was overhead and heading SW. I estimated around 120 at the time, and wasn't far off - counting the birds in the resulting photo, it seems there were 117.

Teal, 1/500 sec, f/7.1, 500 mm, ISO 4000 (view full size image)

Siskin, 1/500 sec, f/7.1, 500 mm, ISO 500

Pinkfeet, 1/640 sec, f/5.6, 145 mm, ISO 100 (view full size image)