Managed to get to Eccup to day,have been of work,had a operation on my hand so to day was the first time I could drive safely.

Parked at the farm and did the walk round the back of the fields towards Emmerdale,didn't think I would see much as things have been very quiet just lately.But 36+ different species later I had had a good morning.

On the track I saw a new bird 90% sure it was a Whinchat,didn't manage to get a photo so I will not record it till I'm sure (will...

Nice and sunny this morning so did the walk round the waters edge.
It was good to see some of the birds back,Redshank,
common-sandpiper, Oyster-catcher and there was two pairs of Shelducks.
Just through the gate I spotted the Green Wood pecker,managed to get a good photo,there were a few birds out on the water,Great Crested Grebes, Tufted ducks and plenty of Herons.There was only a few Greylag Geese not like the hundreds last year(might have been culled again)
Saw two...

Have made a list of the birds I have seen at Eccup on my Gmail documents, I have put the last three years down 2009-2011 and now can tick of the dates when I have seen them, which is much easer than going through my Field notes. So the official number is 65 different species seen so far at Eccup.

The night before we had gone to Eccup in the evening hoping to spot the Barn Owl no luck but there was alot of Yellowhammers about.The walk takes about 2hrs all way round so when I went on Friday morrning I was not up to the long walked so found a spot to park the car at the top end of the reservoir.Here is were the water board takes the water,you can look out over the water,at one end there is a "sandy"shore.

Along the waters edge there were Pied Wagtails and Gray Wagtails...

Going to sell my house and live on Eccup reseviour bird watching for the rest of my life...
Sat on the waters edge with a coffee watching the birds,the water a deep blue,sun shining,lined by trees swaying in the wind,life can be good..I wanted to bottle it up and give it to sad people...

Enough of that back to the challange..
Of the long road towards were the House Martins are there was Hares in the corn fields,alot of young Tree Sparrows and the sky was full of Swifts.At...