Duck Hunt 22/2/10.

Heavey overnight snow in the Kingdom of Cheesedale meant todays Webs Duck Hunt with me old mucker and Tony Pullis "lookey likey" Norbert was a none starter. There was no way i was goin' to risk gettin' stranded in the snow among all those hungry Chip Eaters. After brekkie and MOTD i saddled the old slog iron and headed for Hales Hall Pool determined to at least get the hunt goin', even if i couldn't get to Brookers and the JCB Lakes at Rocester. The pool was around 90% frozen so it took less time than usual with the only bird of note bein' this imm' Grey Heron standin' on the ice in the middle of the pool.

A rapid thaw around dinner time(we call it dinner you might call it lunch) meant the game was back on so i headed off to Utch first before continuin' on the Webs duck hunt. You might think it strange that i don't cover Utch on the duck hunt but it's been covered by potteries geneticist and lover of Scottish Islands old Fair Isle for a few years now.

Utch 1230-1415

The only bird of note that was new in today was a rather dapper male Goldeneye, which happens to be the first bird i pointed my very first 'scope at many moons ago at Fairburn Ings on an RSPB bus trip! How times change eh? No time for the Goosander roost today so a measly 27 Goosander seemed a bit like bein' short changed after last night but eh oh. The aytha hybrid was back from it's trip to Brookers and Tufties had risen to 136.

Goosander 27

Tufty 136

Pochard 28

Wigeon 100

Goldeneye 1

Teal 10

Shelduck 1

Green Sand' 1

Oyst' 3

Curlew 1

Lappy 170

Next stop JCB Lakes at Rocester for a resumption of the duck hunt. Very little of note here apart from 3 Common Gulls, 2 Oyst's and 2 rather tame Mandarins. They were "wingus intactus"though so obviously kosher as far as the hunt was concerned.

The thaw meant i'd got to at least try and get to Brookers to complete the hunt but as soon as i left the main lane out of Ellastone i was confronted by a snow covered track which was impassable in the old punto so i beat a hasty retreat before i got stuck. Only a few weeks ago i got the punto stuck in somethin' resemblin' Lake Baikal so i didn't want to trouble the locals again for a push so soon after the last debacle.

On the way wom i called into have a look at a couple of birds which i snapped for what is probably the worst photo you've ever seen. Any ideas on what these are? Answers as usual on a post card please.

That's all folks.