Sunday January 4

So which is worst, rain or fog. After yesterday's deluge, today was sabotaged by thick freezing fog.

Dave rang me to say he couldn't see the bottom of his garden in Kenilworth, but bizarrely it looked OK in Redditch. An hour later I left the house and found that the fog had formed.

Personally I prefer anything to the dispiriting effect of heavy rain. Fog is frustrating, but at least there is the optimistic thought that it usually lifts. Also, it gives the landscape a wild but strangely beautiful, bleak aspect.

There could be anything out there

 The downside of course is that you can't see the birds, and they even seem to call less. As is the custom at this time of the year, mini highlights are ten to the dozen, even in fog, as the year-listing starts all over again. I noted Nuthatch, Greenfinch, and House Sparrow before Dave got out of his car.

We quickly formed a plan which involved walking along the road to target small woodland birds which should at least be close enough to see. By the time we reached the far edge of Bannam's Wood I had added Goldcrest, Long-tailed Tit, Treecreeper, Jay, and Red-legged Partridge to my year-list, and had also seen a Marsh Tit (recorded yesterday).

Heading back to the fields felt like leaving all hope of further birds behind, as the fog was showing signs that it intended to stay. The Yellowhammer flock at the back of the pool was reasonably co-operative, and there was just enough visibility to identify nine Teal which took off shortly after we had flushed some Mallards.

Yellowhammer

The return journey did add a flock of 25 Skylarks, and the distant calls of Rooks and Green Woodpecker, but we arrived back at our starting point resigned to the fact the fog was not going to shift.

Gorillas Fieldfares in the mist

The above picture sums up the difficulties nicely.