Fishlake meadows

My first post, I wonder how much time I will have to do more. Yesterday we walked along the canal and over a largely frozen Fishlake Meadows which has become one of my favourite places to walk locally over the last few years as you never quite know what you will see, or for that matter what you won't. The last few times I have walked along the back of the meadows I have put up 4 Jack Snipe, and although we only flushed 2 yesterday, they are still great birds to see. Unusually these flew from twenty yards away or so rather than waiting to be almost trodden on. I know there are many common snipe here too, but seeing them is quite another matter, so it was quite a surprise to see one stood out in the open and walking gingerly across the ice (sorry for the poor pic!).

The male kingfisher was much in evidence today and would have proved a perfect subject to photograph had there been less people walking the towpath, but I got the occasional shot, and in one place we stopped for it, the resident kestrel decided to land on the dead tree next to us for a particularly intimate moment.

Water rails squealed more than once but I have yet to actually see one here. The redwings in the horse paddocks that were present in large numbers on my last visit were absent without leave, with just a solitary song thrush, mistle thrush and fieldfare complimenting the blackbirds as the thrush representatives.
The usual buzzards made a late showing on the walk back, a count of 3 individuals being about average.
Other fare included Rook, Crow, Grey Heron, Wood Pigeon, Long tailed, Great, Coal and Blue tit, and abundance of Robins, Goldcrest and Dunnock.
Not seen were the usual Green and Great spotted woodpeckers, Cettis warblers (although heard on christmas day) or any wildfowl other than Mallards and Mute swans on the canal, presumably due to the ponds all being frozen over.
I did find one other thing on this walk, the fact that I need some fingerless gloves for this photography lark!