After a heavy flurry of snow the evening before and a hard frost the following morning I found it increasingly difficult to walk with the mattress attached to my back.

Non the less having defrosted the car Mandy and I set off as we had never been to the Old Moor RSPB reserve before. The temp at 08:00 was -2 but lovely clear skies.

We stayed about 5 hours with a leisurely walk around the six hides and screens. It was the usual RSPB reserve setup and a good cup of coffee and a sarny could be had. It seems it could be a good place for wild flowers as Mandy noted the many seed heads of lot's of wildflowers.

I was interested in seeing a few Yellowhammer as I had failed to see any of these for some time. The visitor centre is quite informative as a huge map also includes a long circular walk outside of the reserve which looks quite good as many other flashes and agricultural areas are encompassed.

Anyway what did we see

55 species (+1 other taxa)

Canada Goose  15
Mute Swan  6
Common Shelduck  2
Gadwall  30
Eurasian Wigeon  50
Mallard  100
Northern Shoveler  10
Eurasian Teal  30
Common Pochard  5
Tufted Duck  20
Common Goldeneye  1
Goosander  2
Common Pheasant (Ring-necked)  20
Great Crested Grebe  1
Great Cormorant (Eurasian)  20
Grey Heron  1
Little Egret  1
Common Buzzard  3
Common Kestrel  2
Common Moorhen  10
Eurasian Coot  50
Northern Lapwing  100
Common Sandpiper  1
Common Redshank  2
Common Snipe  2
Black-headed Gull  50
Feral Pigeon  10
Stock Dove  15
Common Wood-Pigeon  100
Eurasian Collared-Dove  2
Great Spotted Woodpecker  1
Green Woodpecker (Eurasian)  1
Common Magpie  30
Rook  1
Carrion Crow  30
Willow Tit  1
Great Tit  7
Blue Tit  3
Long-tailed Tit  3
Eurasian Wren  2
European Robin  3
Eurasian Blackbird  4
Fieldfare  30
Redwing  2
Song Thrush  2
European Starling  56
Dunnock  2
Pied Wagtail  2
Yellowhammer  5
Reed Bunting  20
Common Chaffinch  10
European Greenfinch  20
Lesser Redpoll  1
European Goldfinch  9
Eurasian Bullfinch  7
Tree Sparrow  12