Coach road, Lightcliffe and Local

 Abi with us as usual today and I squeezed a short walk up the local fields before she surfaced.

Later, Sue took Abi and her friend to a trampoline park in Heckmondwike and I scrounged a lift to Lightcliffe to enjoy quite a long birding outing.

I went down Coach Road to the end, turned left to pass Sefton Avenue, then backtracked to look at the Newton Park area before strolling back up Coach Rd.

I was hoping for a Pecker or two but I failed.

A very calm dull, cold day with lots of bird calls but the light was truly awful.

It was 'one of those days' when, as soon as I pointed a camera or bins at a bird it magically disappeared.

I know my photos aren't top quality but I usually get a few decent ones - but not today they were codswallop.

A Collard Dove was the first bird seen, then 'disappearing' Redwing and lots of Nuthatch calling / singing.

The usual small birds were flitting about no Peckers after a 3 hour search,

The disappearing Redwing appeared on my return route, c30 seen.

I spent a while trying to get a decent  photo one of three Goldcrest but failed.

Lots of Greenfinch "Burring" and calling, and, a Mistle Thrush seen by the school.

I called at the White Horse Pub for a beer to await a lift home from Sue.

As it turned out the beer multiplied a bit and we ended up enjoying a really good evening meal here.

A small consolation today was the lack of grapevine birding texts - so maybe I was not alone in the bird shortage?

A few Small Gulls and a Pair of Little Owl seen on my outing this morning.

Last evening we took Abi to see the Ripponden Pantomime - Snow White.

An absolute scream from start to finish - can't remember when I laughed so much.

Abi's final lizard.