On the 8th December I unfortunately missed the foggy morning for some landscape photography as Tilly developed a limp as I was heading for Hambledon Hill, so we turned back to home.

As the weather cleared I decided to take a walk down towards the river a little later on my own. I didn’t see too much as I walked down the lane a few small birds in the hedgerow but as I got over to Netmead field I was surprised by all the birds around as I went through the gate into the field.

I saw a Kestrel and a Jay both flying away from me and a Little Egret was flying along the river some distance away. Also some Fieldfares and Redwings they are very nervous and fly from tree to tree not getting too close.

A speckled Robin was guarding the gate to the field he was there when I went in and when I went out!

Lots of Reed Buntings and a real surprise quite a few Yellowhammers they seemed to be happy flying around together, feeding off the rough field.

I found out that through the UK Bird identification Facebook page that my Reed Bunting photos were of a male and unlike most birds they don’t moult into breeding plumage by growing new feathers but rather the brown tips of these feathers will drop off (called abrasion) in spring leaving the black bits. Always good to learn something new!

As I left Netmead and was walking past Gold Hill’s organic vegetable patch I spotted a Dunnock on the Purple Kale then a Coal Tit high in some Poplar trees as I headed home.

I didn’t have much time in Netmead field, so I will try and go back soon as it seems quite a haven!