Bramhope and Weardley

On Sunday afternoon, on the way from Goldenacre Park out to Weardley we spotted 8 Red Kites in the skies above us, this one settled in the treetops, just long enough to grab a couple of pics. Nearby a female Kestrel surveyed the adjacent field and swooped down behind the hawthorn hedgerow into the field, presumably in pursuit of Sunday dinner.

A couple of miles away near Goldenacre Park we passed a field of Fieldfare, over 100 in number, with approximately 20 Starlings amongst the flock. We parked up to get a better view and count the numbers, here's approximately one fifth of the flock.

In the distance you can see Leeds Bradford Airport, the planes visible to the left of the picture.

Although last year's Fieldfare sightings in Park Square, Leeds City Centre gave us better views, I'd never seen quite as many in one flock. Seems like a good opportunity to dust off one of the Fieldfare pics that we took last year.

In fields nearby we noticed that Lapwing have returned in good numbers 2 x 50+ plus a big flock of Pink Footed Geese 80+.

I also noticed four bracket fungi growing on a deciduous trunk which I think is Daedaleopsis confragosa  (Blushing Bracket). A common fungi found all year round, with pores on the underside, Roger Phillips' Mushrooms describes its upper surface as "radially wrinkled and concentrically ridged" which sums it up nicely.  

As if Sunday's sightings weren't enough to keep me going through the week, on my way back into work at lunchtime, out of the corner of my eye I spotted a movement in the laurel hedgerow, expecting a Robin or a Dunnock I was surprised to see a Goldcrest, just the ticket to get me through a Monday afternoon.