I had hoped to see bearded tits on my trip to the Old Moor RSPB nature reserve on Saturday 22nd but without success. However I did see a jack snipe for the very first time.

The jack snipe is smaller than the common snipe. It is a stockier bird with a shorter bill. According to the RSPB website it is a UK winter resident and is about one tenth as common as its larger cousin. It has a characteristic bobbing action as it feeds.

I also had sight of a large flock of golden plover, a common snipe, two green sandpipers, a redshank and male and female stonechat. This is the male.

Finally, someone pointed out a kingfisher perched on a reed and I had numerous attempts to photograph it. My autofocus would persist in focussing on the background but I managed one pretty good shot. I think this may be a candidate for the 2018 calendar (!)