Some swans in a hurry

Male Mute Swan staking his territory, his speed was such that he was creating quite a bow wave.

Well no major sightings over the last week, in fact apart from taking the Westies out I haven't done a great deal. And when I have gone after the odd lister it has usually move on to waters new. Like the pair of Smew at Talkin tarn. The pic of the swan above was taken there, on a day when most of the tarn was still coated in ice. Judging by what other people have said there could have been a Med Gull in with the pack of gulls sitting on the ice, but they were too far out to see any detail.

A trio of cross breeds, I've come across this before at Talkin.

Another sunrise on the patch,

Its just unfortunate that the Penrith industrial estate has to be in view from the patch. There hasn't been anything exiting 0n the patch for ages, the usual mix of gulls on the main pond of the reserve and large numbers of Moorhens, one morning there was a single Fieldfare feeding with Starlings by the flash. And one morning I had a look at the feeder Roy has put up by the railway path, and found a Great-spotted Woodpecker having a good go at the nuts, so I quietly crept away and left him to enjoy the nuts.

Skyline tree near the river Peterill

It never ceases to amaze me how a tree like this can be in such an exposed position and yet withstand all the storms and gales that get thrown at it , and yet  whole forests can be devastated or trees in towns and cities where you would expect them to be more sheltered, get ripped apart of blown over completely.

Snowdrops in Cowraik NR. 

The last two mornings I have gone up to Cowraik With the Westies and found large drifts of Snowdrops, they look really beautiful. Also this morning  2 Raven flew over, another for the list.