26 March 2022 - Hollingworth Lake & Garden

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Green Woodpecker, Curlews, Buzzards, Grey Wagtail, Stock Doves, Reed Bunting, Raven, Oystercatchers, Chiffchaffs

Another warm and sunny day, 17 or 18°C. I was up early and around the lake at about 6am. Two Oystercatchers were just off the pavilion spit but flew off shortly after I arrived. A Raven flew overhead near the Wine Press but was too quick for me to get the camera into wide autofocus, and shortly after, a Curlew flew high overhead, calling. A couple of Chiffchaff sang on the reserve and the usual suspects were in residence. I walked up past Turnough Farm and down to Shaw Moss. Two more Curlew flew over the track up to Turnough, and a handful of Teal were on Shaw Moss pools. About 30 or so Redwing flew up from behind the house, but apart from that saw precious little else. A Greenfinch sat up near the Beach Hotel but I was always looking directly up at it from below, so not the best of angles for photography.

After breakfast I set off again and walked up past Syke Farm. A Buzzard sat in the trees just before the farm, and as I reached the plantation just beyond, I noticed a pale bird on a fence post at the edge of the wood. Once I got the bins on it I realised it was a Green Woodpecker, but I managed to fluff the photos somewhat and then it flew shortly afterwards, so a bit frustrating really. I walked up to the moor and across the motorway bridge, but only saw a few Meadow Pipits and Reed Buntings and a pair of Pied Wagtails. Just beyond the bridge on the way down a couple of Stock Doves flew past, and at the farm in the bottom, a Grey Wagtail sat briefly on a barbed wire fence.

Walking back down to Rakewood under the motorway bridge, a few Stock Doves were flying out from the underside of the bridge, and I managed a couple of flight shots of one as it went past. Shortly after, a couple of Buzzards were soaring high over the hill on the opposite side of the valley; one with a pale breast, which may be the one I saw earlier perched up.

Later on in the garden, a male Reed Bunting dropped in for a quick meal from the dropped seeds beneath the feeder, and a Jackdaw sat in a tree in the sunshine, though the photo didn't turn out as well as I'd hoped.

Greenfinch , 1/500 sec, f/5.6, ISO 160, 220 mm