January 2025

I set myself a sort of challenge in the photographic sense to get decent or new images of as many species as possible in the year concentrating of my local patch at Barton followed by Lincolnshire and then the UK. Herewith I will attempt to update with new species images taken through the year but as with my filing system things may not go just according to plan!

The first-winter Great Northern Diver that I found on the local pits in early January was literally frozen out by the mid-month freeze and headed to the Humber but kept flying back to the pit to see if the ice hole was big enough for it to land. It was dull but I attempted to get some of the early morning sky glow as a backdrop.

A more conventional shot of the Great Northern on Barton sailing pit

A low level Coot of course a common local resident

Coots concentrated around and in a hole in the ice covered pits mid-January with Shoveler and Gadwall and a few Herring Gulls

drake Goldeneye also on sailing pit - th ehighest winter count so far was 120 in the ice holes during the freeze

and a female in flight at a rather bird free Covenham Reservoir but in lovely light

A drake Goosander also at Covenham - I have seen a couple of local birds in January but neither was anywhere near enough for a decent photo

Great White Egret - one of two in the Ancholme Valley - amazing how the status of this species has changed in North Lincolnshire in such a short space of time but now regular in winter as well as spring through autumn

a juvenile Grey Wagtail adding a touch of colour to the Chowder Ness floods - the Richard’s Pipit absconded before the New Year

The Grey-headed Lapwing in Northumberland more of this bird on the blog post linked below

And the Northumberland White-billed Diver also linked above

Lapwings on a winter field of wheat lit by the low January sun - I am trying to vary the images of different species not just going for straight portraits of all birds

Little Grebes on the local pits - up to 23 birds were trapped in the ice holes by the freeze and at least one was dead on the ice but others probably suffered the same fate. A different perspective on this endearing species.

one reacting to the appearance of an Otter

Long-tailed Tit backlit by the low January sun - with common birds its nice to try something different while the species is still clearly identifiable

and a more conventional fluff ball shot

adult female Marsh Harrier hanging over an Otter that was swimming along the edge of the reedbed - I am generally spoilt by Marsh Harrier opportunities but this female is restricting the chances of other birds this winter as she is very territorial and drives off other birds that come anywhere near her patch but she does allow the adult male to roost in her reedbed

This 3cy male Marsh Harrier is also resident locally this winter but the adult female keeps him distant and I have yet to get any good images of him - his upperparts are very similar to the adult female and he is often logged as another female!

A smart Greenfinch - this is one of those common species that I have very few images of and I set about redressing the balance a bit this month

An adult Peregrine on the coast at Rimac - I have yet to see a patch bird this year but two were reported today so the time is nigh

A cracking Redwing a stunner of a bird

Song Thrushes in a frosty meadow - from the plumage tones these look like local birds rather than continental visitors

Male Reed Bunting showing off its tail pattern

Robin feeding on the edge of a reedbed not on a garden implement

and a Robin in a red thicket

Barnacle Geese at Alkborough Flats where the Humber population of c2000 birds was present in January as usual - they seldom stray very far down the estuary though and I usually struggle to see one just 10 miles away on my local patch

I clearly need to write things about difficult birds more often - just after writing the above had this lone Barnacle with a flock of Pink-footed Geese, part of a movement of 1600 birds, on the afternoon of the 25th heading west up the Humber over my patch

Drake Pintail at Alkborough Flats - an early year shot of a species I often struggle to get anything decent on

Sanderling on the beach at Rimac - I take so many images of this species and then delete 95% of them but I liked the pose in this one and the habitat

Rock Pipits have been absent in winter locally for a few years but the cold snap saw up to three present though usually flighty this one posed for a few minutes at Chowder allowing better than normal images - presumably a Scandinavian littoralis

a paler littoralis on the coast in bright sunshine

not always easy to ID in flight

And at Alkborough Flats I even managed to get some moderate Water Pipit images as the birds were forced out to feed on the ice covered pools - never an easy bird to photograph as they are typically very flighty

Shovelers on ice during the freeze looking suitably impressed

I have to include Greylags sometime in the year so best to get them out of the way early

male Stonechat on the hated barbed wire fence

low angle Tufted Ducks in a hole in the ice

and Tufted Ducks at sunrise

Water Rails at Alkborough Flats in the freeze- standing togetehr on the frozen ditch this image begs the question are pair bonds maintained through the winter months? Something I have been unable to unearth and answer to but these birds were clearly together with no of the usual territorial aggression

A slightly boring portrait of a Whooper Swan but I may not get a better image of this species on the patch this year who knows?

Work in progress - there is currently a flock of c30 Yellowhammers on the foreshore and some days they are quite approachable but light has been absent - maybe the Pine Bunting will join them later in the winter

Having narrowly missed one of our garden Collared Doves this female Sparrowhawk paused on our neighbour’s garage roof long enough for me to take a few shots hand held at 1/80th second through a double glazed window with the 200-800 lens - pretty decent considering the conditions

To contrast with the garden environment a male in the reedbeds on a convenient willow stump perch

So 31 species represented thus far and a few days of January left

Cormorant 32 species uploaded

a bit more light sensitive Cormorant take off

33 a flock of Bullfinches nine last week but only eight yesterday - another non portrait habitat shot

nice male in the favoured Wedge blackthorn

34 Skylarks in squabble - at least 51 back at Wild Wren yesterday in the sunshine with a lot of singing and display flights

35 and the sun also brought out the Little Owls for the first time this month

Thought I was going to get through the month without a co-operative Bittern but in a short burst of sun this morning this one performed a treat - more images linked below - 36 species

More images in the Bitern galleries linked by clicking image above including several from today

37 cock Chaffinch in beech leaves - not many in the park and no sign of any Brambling this year but the ground staff were busy raking up all the remaining leaves and beech mast to protect the public

and a male showing the often concealed green rump - lower back

Common Buzzard this bird flew right past me in the wind and then perched on a low hedge - the light this morning was spot on — number 38

and a rather distant but suitably stunning first-winter pale bird seen amongst a gathering of 12 Common Buzzards and two Red Kites this afternoon in a Lincolnshire Valley

Mistle Thrush was one of those common ish species that I had very few images of so I was determined to try and improve that and today this bird in the park was nice and co-operative in lovely light - lots more images to process and upload

Mistle Thrush is also a species that we seem to be loosing quickly so good to get some images now - I have already left it too late to concentrate on Willow Tit, Turtle Dove and Lesser Spotted Woodpecker all species we have lost in the last 15 years

40 Pied Wagtail one of several feeding in the leaf litter in the park this morning

And 41 a couple of snoozing Woodpigeons

42 it has gone from a rarity you chased to something you have to force yourself to photograph in such a short space of time - the proverbial white plastic bag as described by a colleague many years ago - Cattle Egret at Saltfleetby

43 Great Spotted Woodpecker in Barton Park - we lost our Nuthatches three years ago, Mistle Thrushes seem to be down to one pair and so far this year I have failed to find any Treecreepers - woodland birds are in real catastrophic trouble

44 Red-necked Grebe at Sutton Ings a long stayer - never came very close though

but maybe the only one I will get this year?

45 a suitably glossy winter Starling with some lichen

46 Black-headed Gull

Meadow Pipit (48) one I forgot to upload from early in the month - and onto February