Staveley

Yesterdays outing to look for dipper and crossbill was disappointing as I did not see either birds. This afternoon I went to Staveley. The first birds I saw were 2 carrion cows

  I sat down in the first hide and looked for stonechats. I saw one in a similar place to my last visit 10 days ago, 

It was very windy as you can see in this video

From the hide I also saw a family of mute swans, teal and mallard. Suet balls had been put in one of the feeders in front of the next hide.

tree sparrows, great and blue tits, chaffinches and reed buntings were enjoying them.

A red kite was circling high in the sky in front of the next hide. I then walked to the hide on the other side of the reserve. Lots of greylags and canadas but no sign of any pink feet. Mallard, teal, shoveler, gadwall, tufted ducks and pintails were all feeding. Lapwings were a bit restless and kept taking to the air. I scanned the flock but could only see starlings with them. I stopped at the first hide again on my way to the car park, however no stonechats this time just 2 carrion crows, so my visit ended as it started.