** New Bird For December From Home.**

So here we go again, snow forecast, for today, and boy was they right, by mid morning the heavens opened and down came the snow, not like I need to tell you guys that. I thought to myself, "I wish I had topped up the bird feeders last night like I was going to". So dressed up like a Eskimo out into the big white world I go.
I was bitter cold, but it had to be done, after all it is harder for them to find food and get warm than it it is me.
I sat by the kitchen window on and off through out the day so see what showed, straight away the most numerous to show was Starlings  checking out the food that was around.

Then there was one particular Starling that seemed to spend all it's time, on the hanging log with lard in the holes. I say the same one, I did watch it for a while, and after it fed for a while it then it flew up to join the others, and then it came back to the log. Another one did follow it over at one stage, but this Starling chased it away, even though there is room for 4 on it.

The other bird that absolutely loves it is the Great Spotted Woodpecker, but he/she didn't show today, the one day I thought it would. Up until late in the afternoon I only had the usual species visit to feed. (A full list of species seen at home today will be listed at the end) I did attempt to photograph a few of the garden visitors but the snow was coming down so heavy,and it didn't ease off until the afternoon.
When I did attempt shooting, now and again the central heating boiler would fire up, and throw out it's usual exhausts,  so I had to pick my moment if I wanted to produce any half decent shots. The few I did get was:                  

Male Blackbird that was foraging close to the kitchen window.



Robin in the bush behind the feeders

Then later in the afternoon, while I was having a scan, that was when I had my 45th species for my Halling December bird list, and that was a bird that shows up in my garden every winter, It last paid a visit in January this year, but it is always welcome, it was a female Blackcap.I did grab a record shot of it , not brilliant but a record never the less.

She hung around an for a short while before flying off, then about 10 minutes or so later, the Gulls started circling and  dropping in for the bread that I put out in the clearing. There was 5 B/H/Gulls, and 2 Common Gulls.It was  a quick touch down, grab the food and off.
Then just as I was packing up I saw a small bird fly in, and feed in the clearing. It turned out to be the female Grey Wagtail. Now I knew I would get a rubbish photo if I was to attempt it because it was getting dark and the bird would look like a silhouette shot but I took it just the same. you can see that it is a Grey Wagtail by it's jizz, greyish back, long tail, yellow under tail.

The complete list of species seen today was:

Blackbird(m3,f2 on the berry bush)

Starling(numerous)

Collared Dove(9)

Wood Pigeon(1)

Black Headed Gull(5)

Common Gull(2)

Dunnock(4)

Robin(1)

Blue Tit(numerous)

Long Tailed Tit(5)

Reed Bunting(m1,f1)

Greenfinch

Goldfinch

Chaffinch

Blackcap(f)

Grey Wagtail(f)