Cold weather.

The weather took a distinctly wintery turn this weekend with sub-zero temperatures locally. Birding Saturday was restricted to watching flocks of Redwings & Fieldfares disappear into the thick freezing fog that prevailed all day. A skein of Pinkfeet passing unseen overhead could have contained a Snow Goose for all I could see. A dismal day and one best spent sat in the conservatory watching the garden birds and a stunning male Sparrowhawk that perched adjacent to the feeders on several occasions.

With news of several Firecrests on the Wirral and across the water in Liverpool Sunday was mostly spent searching local areas trying to find another! No luck at either Rivacre (where I found 3 a couple of years back) or Stanney but plenty of other woodland birds to see.

The Grey Wagtails were elusive along Rivacre Brook but I eventually tracked them down near one of their favourite haunts by the old road bridge.

Mooching along minding my own business with eyes open and ears strained I was pondering why Rivacre doesn't seem to hold any Tawny Owls - their absence in Stanney Woods is probably due to the restricted amount of habitiat but Rivacre comprises several woods separated by the golf course. So, imagine my suprise when coming across this lot as I turned a corner!

A fantastic piece of woodland art but I wonder how long it will be before the local inbreds try setting it on fire.