Birding at Felbrigg, during this weekend’s freeze-up, has been pretty good. Surprisingly perhaps the Bittern, first found at New Year, has hung around – I saw it again this morning fly into the reed bed from the surrounding marshy woodland. There has been a superb male Goosander on the near frozen lake, both Barn and Little Owl, Marsh Tit, up to five Water Rail, Whooper Swan, Green Sandpiper, Snipe and several Woodcock, as well as the commoner stuff.

Felbrigg House, in the snow

The ‘resident’ Whooper Swan

and now in ‘close-up’

One of up to five Water Rail feeding around the unfrozen margins of the lake

On our way home we stopped off at Deeping High Bank to look for swans but the fog was too thick. This Short-eared Owl was a bonus though