27-01-07 FONTBURN/ROTHLEY LAKE/MITFORD

Looking onto Fontburn

Decided to have a run to Fontburn reservoir it is under watched at this time of year and as per my visit last year not a sole around,my car looked lost in the huge car park,which by the way has toilet facilities, first bird seen on the lake a lone Common Gull with a Cormorrant on the Buoy,there is a walk around part of each side but not all the way around although some of the adjacent land is open access.also of interest nearby is access to an ancient settlement and on the hill to the south a series of earthworks as yet I have found out nothing about their origin,anyway it's a very pleasant walk around the south end but alas mo hidden Barrow's Goldeneye or any Goldeneye for that matter only some Mallard about three hundred yards away,which took flight immediately,true "wild Mallard" also flushed four Teal roosting amongst the trees hanging over the water along the shore ,the water looks very brackish probably why it does not seem to attract much wildfowl.
The path ends with a Nature Reserve sign with a route onto the open access land to the left,we walked around the wood edge to the fence line but I am not sure if you can go further,it was exposed to the wind on this side so no flocks of hoped for Redpolls, in the Alders although I did hear calls of a small flock of something take off but no Idea what they where as it was so brief,on the way back one then another two Buzzards lifted and one landed on a small tree followed shortly by a Roe Deer that ran up the hill.Only Blue,Great,Robin & Goldcrest.
Next stop Rothley Lake a walk up to the water revealed that is was mostly frozen with a family of six Mute Swan on the ice so it must have been thick,a mixed party of Tits also included Nuthatch and about 30+ Fielfare flew North also a Heron on the far side,I used to have a nest box scheme here many years ago and regularly saw Squirrel,but not on any visit since.
As it was still good light the last stop was Mitford Castle in the hope of Woodpeckers,the castle grounds are private but there is path around the edge it is still an impresive sight even in the ruined state,GSW called in the first trees but could not pick it up around behund the castle a mixed flock of Goldfinch/Chaffinch and another flock of tits which I now scan looking for a mythical Lesser Spotted,the path comes back onto the road,but you can go right and onto Morpeth if you want.
Fontburn from the access land Harwood in the distance
Buzzard about to land Fontburn
Rothley Lake
Mitford Castle
Mitford Castle