12th January 2013, Chasing shadows!

After a prolonged spell of dull weather the forecast promised the chance of blue skies, with spirits high I set off from Keighley Gate above Airedale for a moorland, woodland and canalbank wander.

I saw a few grouse but try as I might I could not get a decent photograph on this occasion. Crossing to some woodland the blue sky disappeared and a ghostly mist descended!

Wildlife sightings were sporadic to say the least but I avoided sinking or falling into wet morasses so that was a bonus. Trudging on I descended down the edge of the woods, the sky brightened a little and said mist began to disperse..

Once clear of the trees I took a track which leads down to Jaytail Farm and through some fields towards the canal.

Sightings were still less than good at this point, pigeons and crows were about the sum total of the birds I was seeing, not good but surely it would improve.....maybe!

After all the great things I have been privileged to see in last few months I suppose a less than good day had to happen, but hope was not totally lost as I reached the canal and some perpetual favourites obliged.

Reaching Silsden with time to spare I carried on my walk to reach one of my kingfisher viewpoints, checking around through the binoculars I did see a blue tit perched in a tree top.

There was a small flock of them flitting around the trees, movement in a nearby bush alerted me to the presence of a sparrowhawk and I watched through the binoculars as it launched itself into attack mode, one of the blue tits was plucked up and carried away at high speed, nature can be raw but also spectacular!

As I lowered the binos there in a bush looking at me was a kingfisher...

After almost six hours of futile and almost fruitless searching the last few minutes were priceless, my feet felt less heavy as I packed my gear away and headed for the pub.

Even the sky brightened again as the light faded..