Not the Average December day at Scarborough - Walrus in North Yorkshire

Well I guessed I was never going to be able to afford to get on a very expensive boat trip around Spitzbergen so seeing a Walrus was not a likely event but although this was sort of amazing it was also sort of sad - I think we all know that it should not be in UK waters and that the rapidly warming climate is no doubt to blame but it was an amazing if somewhat incongruous sight 

Hen Harrier on a beautiful December day

 Totally unpredictable encounter with this 1cy male today as it hunted passerines along a hedge line - with the 2x converter on the Canon 400DO2 and the Canon R6

Water Pipits

 Always so skittish and unapproachable - you wonder why when they live high up in mountains in the summer where they presumably see few people -  some record shots from Alkborough this week- 11 today the highest count of the winter so far 

some frosty shots from today

 

Sparrowhawk

 

Common Snipe and sheep in the frost

 The continuing freeze is making it difficult for a lot of birds but particularly soil probers - Snipe were moving all over yesterday in search for ice-free pockets to try and feed in -- I just stood in one spot and waited for them to fly past