Noregulus

Thought I would spend some of a pre-booked annual leave day today 'up north'.  Despite the weather forecast being poor, my mentality is, 'you've gotta be in it to win it' so off via Maccy Dees to the Tin Church at Newton to see if one of the two Pallas's was willing to show itself.

Damp and windy on arrival, and not much better when I left, the birding tally was Blue, Great and Coal Tits, Robins and Wrens, and a Goldcrest.  I got the back end of a large Bullfinch but never saw it again (heard it one more time), and a multitude of other calls but no birds seen.  In fact, that was the peculiar aspect of the time I was there - noisy but nothing!  Almost as if the Ghost of Gary/Spectre of Stringer was playing games.

Anyway, second planned stop was Doddington for the Ross's Goose.  By comparison, pretty straight forward, a large flock of geese distant and in flight as I scanned the fields from the lay-by just before entering the village had me thinking I might of just been a few minutes too late.  Thankfully, not one of that group was white.  And scanning on the ground located another flock but too far away and in part shielded by trees.

Into the village in an attempt to get a better view, I saw Drovers' Lane and recalling Birdguides yesterday, drove to the end as the flighty geese were landing again.

Not surprisingly, the Ross's was easy to pick out from those on the ground, the views were superb as the light was momentarily good.