5-2-08 Fieldcraft

Northumbrian Birding

Tuesday 5th finished work early so went for a walk on the way home looking for Willow Tit, the air was quiet and calm the first Birds a mixed flock of thrushes in a wheat field mostly Redwings with a few Fieldfares & 4 Mistle Thrush, a Sparrowhawk crossed the next field and jinked over the hedge in the hope of startling something, it must be terrifying for a bird to have one of these fearsome predators come at you feet first,30+ Goldfinch then a small group of tits with a Goldcrest in with them, later the call of Bullfich with a male & three females feeding in the thick hedge ,then a Willow Tit in the bramble thick bull neck on this bird was prominent ,pale wing panel and bib,not a chance of a photo so just checked it out the camera was up to 1600 iso in the gloom so I thought time to go and check for any owls across the rough grass, I put the camera back in the case and just as I got to the track I saw a fox crossing a field 150yds off heading my way,but before I got the camera back out it was gone from sight ,so I gave it some thought and placed myself at a likely spot on the edge of a copse camera poised , nothing to lose , then in the corner of my eye the Fox about 4 feet to the left of where I was looking it new there was something wrong but had not got my scent , three clicks later it was gone the first shot out of focus this is the second my best Fox shot yet and the third its tail as it went, I was shaking with the thrill of having worked out its path and waiting for the shot ...............no owls though.