So near and yet........

Firstly, two lots of thanks.
Thank you to all of you who propelled yesterday's Blip to the first page of Popular by this morning
Secondly, Mum is overwhelmed with all your kind comments about her embroidery.

Please see this image against black to give it the best chance!

The day dawned cold, but sunny and the snow had not disappeared overnight. I walked to Lincoln Hill because there have been reports of lots of different birds wintering there. In particular, a large flock of linnets are in a field.

The main roads were clear, but the side lanes were quite icy. I walked carefully to Lincoln Hill. There were the linnets. As I approached I could see them dancing in the air, then landing on the ground, only to take off gracefully again.

In order to see them, I was looking directly into the sun, not to be recommended with a 400mm lens. I made my way carefully around the field for a safer vantage point. By then, you've guessed it, they had gone and were swooping in the far distance. 

I walked a bit further. When I returned the linnets were back too. I crept up under cover of the hedge. I took a few shots - my blip is one - but when I was nearly close enough they were silent and disappeared again.

This is the best shot from today.

This evening, I took Mum to Newcastle to see an ENT surgeon about her very frequent nosebleeds. The lift in the hospital was out of order, so the surgeon came to see Mum in one of the ground floor rooms. Most of his equipment was upstairs, so he could not do a thorough examination. She had 4 bleeds a week in January but none since. Nothing to be seen on the limited examination.

He will see her again if problems persist.

We had an outing and the roads were dry and safe for most of the way.

Ho hum.

PS I was using an adaptor on the lens and I don't think the shutter speed has recorded correctly. I think it was 1/800 and still not fast enough.

PPS I've added a cropped extra based on Pixelfoto's comment. I think it does allow the viewer to concentrate on the birds.