Ogden - Drizzle and Mist

 I searched the house from top to bottom today, looking for some enthusiasm, I finally found a bit at 1.30pm and took it with me to Ogden Water.

The car park was amazingly busy given the poor weather.

Drizzle and misty here but you could see across the water - just.

I did one circuit of the water today.

Birds:-

The usual Gulls as far as I could tell - lots way out in the centre in the gloom.

A Kingfisher left the west side bushes as soon as I looked it's way.

A small flock of Goldcrest were flitting about with the usual Tit families.

Also here a Treecreeper.

Treecreeper, Coal Tit and Goldcrest have such similar calls its difficult to tell them apart - there were lots of calls here!

Highlight of the outing was a Raptor.

The Kestrel sized bird flew over my head and low across the water, from east to west, before rising into the dark trees, to be lost by me in the gloom.

I just saw the back of the bird from above.

 I did manage to fire off 2 photos, one photo actually caught the bird in flight, but its pretty rubbish.

Chances are that the bird is a Sparrowhawk but its small size and very , very consistent brown back made me think it could be a Merlin.

I suppose this is possible with the higher moors covered in thick mist, the bird could have moved lower down.

Although I am not sure if most Merlin head for the coast in winter?

Anyway it brightened the outing, metaphorically, if not physically.

Gulp, Gulp, Gulp  - just swallowed the flipping dictionary.

Later on the whole Gull population took to the air, so there was something disturbing the peace.

Sparrowhawk??